Hello Darkness
by Rainbow Haired Girl
Summary: MacKenzie Taylor Stone was always known in Storybrooke as the artist and hard worker. She hardly says a word due to her being shy and polite. When Emma Swan comes to Storybrooke things begin to make more sense and memories begin to surface. But the question is are they going to accept them. Part 1 of Holding A Heart. Rewrite of Holding a Heart
1. Chapter 1

Hello Darkness

Rainbow Haired Girl

Summary: MacKenzie Taylor Stone was always known in Storybrooke as the artist and hard worker. She hardly says a word due to her being shy and polite. When Emma Swan comes to Storybrooke things begin to make more sense and memories begin to surface. But the question is are they going to accept them. Part 1 of Holding A Heart.

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time, but I do own MacKenzie Taylor Stone.

Authoress Note: This is a rewrite of Holding a Heart. My writing had changed, so it was best to change the story. I know that it might not be fair to write it all over again, but it only seemed right that I did so. I didn't see the story becoming the best if I didn't do it all over again and Season 5 made me think a bit since I saw the first episode of it. So I had to do some rethinking on it of how it was to go. So I hope that this rewrite will go fairly well for me. I hope that you enjoy it. I wanted it something kind of original with MacKenzie well… being who she is to become in this series. So I hope that you guys enjoy it.

 **Chapter 1**

Pilot

 _ **There was an enchanted forest filled will all the classic character we know. Or we think we know. One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen. Our world. This is how it happened….**_

"You're too late." Doc told Prince Charming who had gotten there too late to save his true love.

Charming looked at where Snow was lying in a casket of glass. He felt tears coming to his eyes. No he couldn't allow this. He didn't want her to know thinking that he didn't love her. He truly did. "No. No!" He shouted he looked at them. "Open it." He told them.

Grumpy look at him. "I'm sorry, she's gone."

"At least let me say goodbye." He told the dwarves. He wanted to say goodbye to his true love. There was nothing else that could be done since she had died.

The dwarves moved the lid off of the coffin that they had put her in.

Charming leaned down and kissed Snow on the lips.

A pulse of magic spread through the land.

Snow awoken gasping for air. Her eyes wide open. "You." She said looking into his eyes. "You found me."

"Did you ever doubt I would?" He asked resting his head against her forehead.

"Truthfully, the glass coffin gave me a pause."

"Well, you never have to worry. I will always find you."

"Do you promise?"

OUAT

A woman stood in the back of the room well hidden from the large crowd. They just knew that she was just a simple guest and nothing more. And that was the way that she wanted it. She was dressed in a silver blue gown covered by a pale blue cloak hiding her features. Her violet eyes locked onto the sight before her. A beautiful ceremony between two people that were so much in love. Something that she enjoyed seeing a lot. Happy endings always made her smile. A smile came to her pale silver lips as she watched the scene unfold even more before her.

"I do." Prince Charming said to the bishop looking at Snow White who was across from him.

"And do you, Snow White, promise to take this man to be your husband, and love him for all eternity?" The Bishop asked looking at Snow White.

"I do."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The woman in the back clapping her hands along with the others who were clapping.

Snow and Charming went in for a kiss.

The door flung open and the Evil Queen came into the room. "Sorry I'm late."

The woman looked at the Evil Queen who had a smirk on her red lips. The woman narrowed her purple colored eyes. Why was she even here? Interrupting a wedding that she had no reason of being in.

She walked towards them using her magic to fling those who were in her way out of her way.

"It's the Queen! Run!" Doc shouted.

The woman pursed her pale silver pink lips together. What did she want?

Snow grabbed her husband's sword and pointed it at the queen with a narrowed look. "She's not a queen anymore!" Snow snapped causing the group of friends around them to look relieved. "She's nothing more than an evil witch!"

"No, no, no, don't stoop to her level, there's no need." Charming said lowering the sword his wife held onto to. "You're wasting your time, you've already lost. And I will not let you ruin this wedding." He said in a cold tone.

The woman watched the Evil Queen. She was waiting to see what would happen. She could only hope that she wasn't going to cause trouble.

"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything." The Evil Queen said with a smirk. "On the contrary, dear, I've come to give you a gift."

The woman froze. Her purple eyes wide. What the hell was she planning. What ever was going through her mind wasn't a good thing.

"We want nothing from you." Snow said looking at her step mother. There was no way that she wanted a gift from her. Not in a million years.

"But you shall have it! My gift to you is this happy, happy day. But tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon, everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you. Forever. And out of your suffering, will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness, if it is the last thing I do." She said turning away from the happy couple and walking towards the back of the room.

"Hey!" Charming yelled grabbing his sword from his wife.

The Evil Queen turned her head and Charming launched his sword towards her. She disappeared in a cloud of black smoke and so did his sword.

The woman moved quickly leaving the ceremony. She knew that they would understand why she had left. She was going to get to the bottom of this. She was concerned about what the Evil Queen was talking about. She was going to find out exactly what the Evil Queen was talking about. But that would only mean one thing and that was talking to a man that was hard to find. She sadly knew one thing that he was caught and had been caught for a little bit. She was going to have to see him about this curse. He wasn't called the dark one for nothing.

OUAT

The woman pulled the cloak closer to her that she wore which was black. The black skirts of her gown danced around her feet as she followed the guard down the cells.

"When we reach the cell, stay out of the light, and whatever you do…." The guard told her softly, but only to be cut off with a look that was sharp and dangerous. It made him shudder.

"Do not let him know my name." She snapped. She shook her head. She knew that. After all she was seeing the dark one. She knew enough about the dark one and it was something that she was using to her advantage. She had known him way too long, but the guard didn't need to know the truth of who she was and why she was there.

The guard jumped looking at her. He hadn't expect that. He had never seen a woman act like that. He was still trying to figure out why the dark one was having a visitor when no one like him should have had one.

"I know what I am doing, lad. Go back to your post." She told him. She didn't want him hovering over her and listening in on what she was talking to the dark one about.

"But ma'am…" The guard said in shock. He didn't want to leave her. He was under strict orders to not allow anyone come and talk to the dark one.

The woman let out a soft sigh and reached into the small brown pouch that was hidden by the black cloak that she had on. She pulled out a fistfull of green dust. She hated doing this, but it was the only way to keep this guy from following her around in the cells. She turned towards him and blew the dust into his face. "Go to your post." She ordered the guard again.

The guard nodded his head dumbly and walked away being under the effects of the dust.

The woman shook her head and dusted her hand on her gown. She began to walk the rest of the way to the cell that she was going to. The woman stopped outside of the cell. "Rumpelstiltskin." She said in an almost loving way. Something that would normally wouldn't be heard by someone calling the dark one's name.

Rumpelstiltskin came climbing down the bars like a monkey. He looked at her. He knew who she was by how her voice sounded and the loving tone that she had. He cackled loudly like a madman. "You insult me so." He said to her. He didn't like the fact that she covered her face, but he knew why she did.

The woman didn't move to remove the hood of her black cloak that she wore.

Rumpelstiltskin looked her over. He knew why she didn't take the hood off to reveal herself to him. "What do I owe this visit, dearie?" He cackled loudly.

The woman looked at him. Her violet eyes piercing his eyes. "I've come to talk to you on an important matter." She said grabbing onto the bar with her small hand that was covered by black leather hiding her skin.

He looked at her eyes and could see what was concerning her the most. "You want to know about the Queen's threat." He said with a menacing smile.

The woman nodded her head. "Naturally, Stiltskin. Tell me what you know." She said leaning forward.

Rumpelstiltskin put his hand on the top of her black leather gloved one. "I will tell you free of charge. But I do ask for a favor dearie." He told her looking upon her pale skin tone that was hidden by the hood of her cloak.

Her purple eyes searched his eyes. She normally didn't hear him asking for favors. Never from her or anyone else. So it was something entirely new to her. She closed her eyes taking a deep breath. She opened her eyes looking at him again. "Deal Stiltskin." She said with a smile playing on her pale silvery pink lips. "Tell me what you know."

"The Queen has created a powerful curse. And it's coming." He told her the truth. He had seen no point in hiding it from her. Not in the least bit. "Soon you'll be in a prison, just like me, only much worse."

The woman closed her eyes. Her breathing had become shallow as if there was a fear looming over her head. She gripped the bar tighter that was in her hand.

Rumpelstiltskin could hear her bones in her small hand cracking. "Your prison. All of our prisons will be time."

The woman looked up. She was unsure what this was going to be all about, but it did unnerve her a little bit.

"And time will stop. And we will be trapped, some place horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love will be ripped from us while we suffer from all eternity, while the Queen celebrates, victorious at last… no more happy endings."

"That's what I was afraid of." She shook her head. "There is nothing that can be done can there Stiltskin?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

She took a deep breath closing her purple eyes. "And what is it that you wanted me to do Stiltskin?"

"Get far away from here. Far as you can. Away from her curse dearie."

"You know that I can't do that." She shook her head. "You know that I have a vow." She told him. "A vow I can't break."

He knew of the oaths that she took. She never backed down from them. It was who she was. He knew it too. "It was only a request." He told her. He was hoping that she would heed to his word and leave, but he knew that she had always kept to her bond that she had even though no one else knew it.

"And I wish I could do what you ask me to do."

"Then do this favor for me."

Her eyes locked with his. "And what would that be?"

"Be careful."

"I can do that." She said nodding her head. She looked over her shoulder knowing that the guard would be headed her way soon.

"You should go dearie that green powder won't last forever." He said looking at her patting her hand before allowing her to move it.

She nodded her head. "You do me a favor."

"And what would that be dearie?"

"You take care of yourself." She said before disappearing down the hall towards the exit before the guard realized what had happened.

Rumpelstiltskin watched her go. "I will…" He said knowing that he hadn't heard her saying that he would watch out for himself. Which was something bad.

OUAT

A woman pulled into Storybrooke, Maine with a young boy with her. "Okay, kid. How about an address?" She asked him. She hated the fact that she had to drive him all the way here with a lack of sleep.

"Forty-four Not Telling You street." The kid replying to the woman who had brought him back home to Storybrooke.

The woman stopped her yellow bug in the middle of the road. She got out.

The boy followed him.

"Look, it's been a long night and it's almost… 8:15?" She asked in confusion. She didn't like the fact that she had to bring this kid back to this place.

"That clock hasn't moved my whole life. Time's frozen here." The kid explained to her.

"Excuse me?" The woman asked looking at him.

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here." He told her.

"Okay, the Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairy tale characters here."

"Yeah, and now they're trapped."

"Frozen in time, stuck in Storybrooke, Maine. That's what you're going with?" She asked looked at the kid that had brought her here.

"It's true." The kid shouted, he wanted this woman to believe him so badly. He didn't go and get her for no reason. He got her to bring the life back to this town.

"Then why doesn't everybody just leave?" She questioned crossing her arms.

"They can't. If they try, bad things happen." He told her.

"Henry!" A man said approaching with a dog. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" He asked showing concern about the boy.

"I'm fine Archie." Henry said looking at him.

Archie looked at the woman with Henry. "Who's this?"

"Just someone trying to give him a ride home." The woman replied.

"She's my mom, Archie." Henry stated.

"Oh. I see." Archie said looking at the woman.

"You know where he lives?" She questioned Archie. She wanted to get this kid away from her as soon as she could.

"Yeah, sure. Just, ah, right up on Mifflin street. The Mayor's house is the biggest one on the block." Archie told her.

The woman looked at Henry. "You're the Mayor's kid?"

Henry swallowed the lump in his throat. "Uh, maybe."

Archie looked at Henry. "Hey, where were you today, Henry? Because you missed your session."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip."

"Henry." Archie let out a soft sigh. "What did I tell you about lying? Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything."

"Okay… Well, I really should be getting him home." The woman said to Archie.

A woman with silvery blonde hair in a messed up braid walked by carrying a messenger bag that was covered with paint. She looked well worn out and tired from a day of work.

"Yeah, sure. Well, listen. Um. Have a good night and, uh, you be good, Henry." He said before turning to walk. "Mac." He called to the woman that was walking.

The woman stopped in her tracks and turned looking at Archie. "Yes, Archie?" She asked softly in a timid shy tone.

"I will see you tomorrow right?" He asked hoping that she would be coming in for her session of therapy.

Mac nodded her head. "Yes, Archie I will be there. That's a promise."

The woman looked at Henry. "So that's your shrink."

"I'm not crazy." Henry told her.

"Didn't say that. Just, he doesn't seem cursed to me. Maybe he's just trying to help you just like that woman right there." The woman said pointing at the artist who was now on her way home.

"He's the one who needs help because he doesn't know and neither does she." Henry pointed out to his mom.

"That he's a fairy tale character?"

"None of them do. They don't remember who they are."

"Convenient. Alright, I'll play. Who's he supposed to be?" She questioned him.

"Jiminy Cricket."

"Right, the lying thing. Thought your nose grew a bit."

"I'm not Pinocchio!"

"Course you're not. Because that would be ridiculous." The woman said shaking her head.

OUAT

A woman stood there dressed in men's clothing. Her hair was tied back tightly in a braid. Her purple colored eyes wandered around the group that had met up. She had been asked by Charming to show up to help with the threat that the Evil Queen had made.

"I say we fight!" Charming yelled slamming his hand onto the table in a fist.

The woman simply shook her head. It wasn't possible. They were going against something that was darker than anyone else had faced.

"Fighting is a bad idea." Jiminy Cricket spoke up. "Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything."

"And how many wards has a clear conscience won? We need to take the Queen out before she can inflict her curse." Charming stated looking at the cricket.

"Can we even trust Rumpelstiltskin?" Doc asked in doubt that they could even trust the dark one at that moment.

The woman closed her eyes. She knew that they didn't know Rumpelstiltskin as well as others.

"I've sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plans. THis is going to happen unless we do something." Charming said trying not to rub his face.

Snow shook her head. "There's no point. The future is written." She told her husband.

"No. I refuse to believe that. Good can't just lose." Charming hissed. He couldn't allow himself to believe it.

"Maybe it can." Snow told her husband softly.

"No. Not as long as we have each other. If you believe him about the curse then you must believe him about our child. She will be the savior." Charming told his wife. He looked up and saw a few guards and the blue fairy coming into the room. He saw that they had a stump. "What the hell is this?"

"Our only hope of saving that child." The blue fairy replied to his question.

"A tree? Our fate rests on a tree? Let's get back to the fighting thing?" Grumpy asked looking at Charming hoping that they would be able to get back into the fighting. It seemed like the best choice.

"Silence." The woman said looking over at Grumpy. She looked over at the blue fairy. "Continue."

The blue fairy nodded her head. "The tree is enchanted. If fashioned into a vessel it can ward off any curse. Geppetto, can you build such a thing?"

"Me and my boy. We can do it." Geppetto said roughing up his son's hair.

"This will work. We must have faith. There is, however, a catch. The enchantment is indeed powerful, but all power has its limits. And this tree can only protect one according to Merlin's power."

"It will work. Merlin does wondrous work." The silvery blonde haired woman said before walking out of the room.

OUAT

The woman took Henry back to a large white house. She walked him through a large white gate and up a walkway leading up to the house.

"Please don't take me back there." Henry pleaded.

"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you." The woman said looking down at him as she put her hands in her pockets.

"I don't have parents. Just a mom and she's evil."

"Evil? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"She is. She doesn't love me. She only pretends to. That woman you saw Archie talking to treats me better than she does."

"Kid… I'm sure that's not true."

A woman opened the door and saw Henry. She rushed down towards him. "Henry! Henry… Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?"

"I found my real mom." He said before running into the house.

The woman looked at the blonde haired woman that was standing there.

"Y-you're Henry's birth mother?"

"Hi…."

"I'll just go… check on the lad. Make sure he's alright." The man said who was standing at the doorway said to the woman who was still in shock of finding out that Henry's birth mother was really there. He went inside to go check on Henry.

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

"Got anything strong?" The woman asked Henry's adoptive mother, she was going to really need something stronger for being dragged into this.

OUAT

The woman came back with two glasses of cider.

"How did he find me?" She asked looking at the dark haired woman.

"No idea. When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed. I was told the birth mother didn't want to have any contact."

"You were told right." She said with a sigh.

"And the father?"

"There was one."

"Do I need to be worried about him?"

"Nope. He doesn't even know."

"Do I need to be worried about you, Miss Swan?"

"Absolutely not." Miss Swan replied looking at the woman with a look in her eyes that told her that she was no threat.

The woman nodded her head.

The sheriff came down the stairs. "Madam Mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."

"Thank you, Sheriff."

He took his leave leaving the two women alone.

"I'm sorry he dragged you out of your life. I really don't know what's gotten into him." She said as they walked into another room of her home.

"Kid's having a rough time. It happens."

"You have to understand. Ever since I became mayor, balancing things has been tricky. You have a job, I assume?"

"Uh, I keep busy, yeah."

"Imagine having another one on top of it. That's being a single mom. So I push for order. Am I strict? I suppose. But I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that make me evil, do you?"

"I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairy tale thing."

"What fairy tale thing?" The mayor asked in confusion.

"Oh, you know. His book. How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket."

"I'm sorry. I really have no idea what your talking about."

"You know what? It's none of my business. He's your kid. And I really should be heading back."

"Of course."

The mayor allows Emma to leave.

Emma walked down the walkway to her beat up punch bug and looked up to the second story window and saw Henry. She saw him shut the curtain and turning off the light. She got into their car and began to drive out of Storybrooke. She looked over and saw the book on the seat. "Sneaky bastard." She looked up to the road and saw a wolf in front of her car. She swerved to avoid hitting it instead hitting the Storybrooke entrance sign.

OUAT

Geppetto and Pinocchio were working on the magical wardrobe out of the enchanted tree.

The woman that had been with the court was there watching them. "Geppetto."

"Yes?"

"There is something that I want you to do once it is finished."

"And what would that be Madam?"

The woman moved closer to him and whispered in his ear to Pinocchio didn't hear what she was saying to Geppetto.

"You want me to do that?"

"Yes."

Geppetto nodded his head.

"If you think that will help."

"It will Geppetto."

"Alright I will do it Madam."

She turned her head sharply hearing the bell ringing. "The curse… it's here…"

OUAT

Emma woke up looking around in the jail cell that she was in. She heard whistling alerting her that there was someone else in there with her.

"What are you looking at, Sister?" A man with a hat on his head asked narrowing his eyes at her.

"Hey, Leroy! Manners. We have a guest. So you are, uh, Henry's mother? How lovely for him to have you back in his life."

"Actually, I was just dropping him off." Emma explained to the two of them.

"Well, I'd give anything for one. My wife and I, we tried for many years. But, uh, he was not meant to be."

"Well cry me a river."

The sheriff walked into the room with the woman that Emma had seen the night before that had the messed up messenger bag. "Leroy." He said unlocking his cell. "If I'm going to let you out to your sister, you need to behave. Put on a smile and stay out of trouble."

Leroy smiled sarcastically and walked out of the cell.

Mac shook her head. "Seriously. Did you have to get in trouble again Leroy? What was it this time?"

"Mac why did you have to bail me out again?" Leroy complained looking at the platinum blonde haired woman.

"When you didn't come home last night it scared the hell out of me. You know that I can't pay the rent on my own to Mr. Gold… you know the man scares the living hell out of me…." Her breathing began to become ragged and labored.

Leroy grabbed her arm tightly in his hand. "Mac… Mackenzie breath baby girl breath…"

Mac closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth.

"I know that you can't handle Gold. He's rude and a bit of a prick. I would never let you deal with him alone. He's always looking at you and it bothers the hell out of me when he watches you."

Mac looked at Leroy. "Leroy you know that you can't say that about him. He owns the whole town and you know it. He could very well take our home and you know it."

"Mac… calm down… he won't take our home. Let's get you to Archie okay."

Mac nodded her head. "Okay." She said softly.

Leroy wrapped his arm around her and walked her towards Archie's office to her appointment that she much needed at this point.

OUAT

"I can't have this baby now!" Snow White screamed out in pain from being in labor.

"Doc, do something. It's going to be okay. The wardrobe is almost finished, just hold on." Charming told his wife softly, holding onto her hand.

Geppetto ran into the room. "It's ready."

"It's too late. We can't move her." Doc said looking at Geppetto as he helped Snow.

Snow gave birth to Emma. Snow held onto her small daughter. "The wardrobe… it only takes one."

"Then our plan has failed. At least we're together."

"No." Snow said shaking her head, she would not allow that to happen not like this. Not when they still had some hope, not when their daughter was born now. "You take her. Take the baby to the wardrobe."

"Are you out of your mind?" Charming asked his wife, his eyes growing wide.

"No, it's the only way. You have to save her." Snow pleaded with her husband, to her it was the only way to save their child and their happy endings from the queen's curse.

"No, no, no. You don't know what you're saying." He said shaking his head in disbelief.

"No, I do." She said shaking her head replying to her husband. She knew what she was doing. "We have to believe that she'll come back for us. We have to give her best chance." She kissed Emma's head.

Charming kissed his daughter's head before carefully taking his daughter from Snow.

"Goodbye, Emma...:"

Charming took a sword that was near the door and walked out the door.

OUAT

Henry sat at his wooden shaped castle slide at the playground that was at the shore.

Emma walked up to him carrying the book that Henry had left in her car. "You left this in my car." She said handing the book back to him.

The two of them looked across to the clock tower.

"Still hasn't moved, huh?" Emma asked looking over at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here. That the final battle would begin." Henry said speaking softly the truth that he thought he knew.

"I'm not fighting any battles kid." Emma said shaking her head. She wasn't in the mood to fight anyone else's battles, it wasn't who she was.

"Yes, you are. Because it's your destiny. You're going to bring back the happy endings."

"Can you cut it with the book crap."

"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me… I can tell." Henry said softly looking at his real mother. "You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's the same reason why Snow White gave you away."

"Listen to me, kid. I'm not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no saviour. You were right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance. But it's not with me. Come on, let's go."

"Please don't take me back there. Just stay with me for one week. That's all I ask. One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy." Henry pleaded with her, he needed her, no wanted her to see what he was trying to get her to see.

"I have to get you back to your mom."

"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!" Henry complained to Emma. He really hated his life with the mayor, she hardly had time for him and it upsetted him the most that he was alone most of the time. Sending him to a shrink thinking that he was insane thinking that fairy tales were real when he knew the truth that they were.

"Oh, you want to know what sucking is? Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway. My parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital. I ended up in the foster system and I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own so then they sent me back. Look, your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you, but at least she wants you."

"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of a freeway. That's just where you came through."

"What?"

"The wardrobe. When you went through the wardrobe you appeared in the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the curse."

"Sure they were. Come on Henry."

OUAT

Snow went into the room of the wardrobe only to find her husband dead on the floor. "No, no!" She ran over to him. "No! No! No! Please…." She leaned down kissing him twice. "Please come back to me." She whispered against his lips.

The Evil Queen entered the room a sick smile was on her red ruby lips."Oh, don't worry dear."

She laughed. "In a few moments, you won't remember you knew him, let alone loved him."

"Why did you do this?"

"Because this is my happy ending."

Two guards entered the room dragging a platinum blonde haired woman with them.

"You won't get away with this." The platinum blonde haired woman seethed trying to get out of their strong hold.

"The child?"

"Gone. It was in the wardrobe, and then it was gone. It's nowhere to be found." The guard said looking at his queen.

"Where is she?"

"She got away…" Snow said in bewilderment.A small smile came to her lips. This meant that it was a good sign that her daughter would be able to save them from the Evil Queen's curse in 28 years time. "You're going to lose. I know that now. Good will always win."

"We'll see about that."

The ceiling broke apart and a twister started to form in the room.

"Where are we going?" Snow asked over the noise.

"Somewhere horrible. Absolutely horrible. A place where the only happy ending will be mine."

All the windows shattered and the dark smoked filled the room.

OUAT

Emma brought Henry back to Regina's home.

Henry ran inside running up the stairs.

"Thank you." Regina said with a small smile.

"No problem."

"He's seemed to have taken quite a shine to you."

"You know what's kind of crazy? Yesterday was my birthday and when I blew out the candle on this cupcake that I bought myself, I actually made a wish. That I didn't have to be alone on my birthday. And then, Henry showed up."

"I hope there's no misunderstanding here."

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't mistake all this as invitation back into his life."

"Oh…"

"Miss Swan, you made a decision ten years ago. And in the last decade, while you've been… Well, who knows what you've been doing. I've changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but he is my son."

"I was not…"

"No! You don't get to speak. You don't get to do anything. You gave up that right when you tossed him away. Do you know what a closed adoption is? It's what you asked for. You have no legal right to Henry and you're going to be held to that. So, I suggest you get in your car, and you leave this town. Because if you don't, I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do. Goodbye, Miss Swan." Regina said before turning to head back inside of her home.

"Do you love him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Henry. Do you love him?"

"Of course I love him." She said before going into her home.

OUAT

Mac opened the door to the bed and breakfast carrying a large painting. She held the door open when Emma was right behind her.

"Thanks." Emma told her softly with a smile.

"Anytime." Mac said with a small shy smile.

"You're out all night, and now you're going out again." Granny yelled at her granddaughter.

"I should have moved to Boston." Ruby shouted at her grandmother.

"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard."

"Excuse me?" Emma called out breaking the fight between Ruby and Granny. "I'd like a room."

"Really?" Granny asked in shock. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square but, as friends do, I'll wave it/"

"Square is fine." Emma said with a small smile.

"Now, what's the name?"

"Swan. Emma Swan."

"Emma. What a lovely name." Mr. Gold said who had just come into the bed and breakfast that no one had noticed.

Mac jumped holding the painting close to her body.

"Thanks."

Granny passed a roll of bills to Mr. Gold. "It's all here."

"Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you. You enjoy your stay… Emma." Mr. Gold said before leaving the inn.

"Who's that?" Emma asked in confusion.

"Mr. Gold. He owns this place." Ruby said looking out the window.

"The inn?"

"No, the town. So, how long will you be with us?"

"A week. Just a week."

"Great." Granny took a key from the wall and handed it over to Emma. "Welcome to Storybrooke."

Emma took the key and headed to her room.

"Granny." Mac said softly.

"Oh MacKenzie darling it is so wonderful to see you again." Granny said smiling at the young woman again.

"I have that painting that you wanted for in this room."

Ruby turned and looked at Mac. "You finished it finally?"

"Yes… I am sorry that it took so long."

"Leroy being a pain in the ass again?" Ruby asked crossing her arms.

Mac sat the painting down onto the table taking the brown paper off of the front of the painted canvas. "Yeah, he's been getting drunk a lot. Sheriff's been picking him up a lot and I've been picking him up every single time. Plus my appointments with Archie have been running a lot longer… and work has been keeping me busier than usual." She rubbed her face tiredly.

"Mac honey you shouldn't overwork yourself like that. You are going to work yourself to exhaustion and end yourself up in the hospital." Granny said looking at Mac in concern. She in a way saw Mac as another granddaughter like Ruby. "Ruby."

"Yes?"

"Can you can get the money for Mac?"

Ruby nodded her head and went into the back to get the money.

"Mac you really should get some rest tonight." Granny told her softly.

"I will try to get some sleep tonight." Mac said softly.

Ruby came out and handed the money to her. "Here you go. It's all there."

Mac counted it. "There is fifty bucks too much."

"You worked hard on it MacKenzie. You deserve it honey doesn't she Ruby."

Ruby nodded her head. "We will see you in the morning at the diner."

Mac nodded her head. "Thanks. Bye." She said softly. "Have a good evening you two." She left the inn and began walking towards her home that she shared with Leroy. Maybe tonight she would be able to get to sleep instead of getting a phone call from Graham about Leroy again about drinking himself into another stupor again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is the end of chapter 1. I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter. I hope that I didn't make Leroy too OOC, but I see him as a caring sibling. I really do. I see him as a really caring older brother. But let me know what you think. I'm not going to reveal who the woman is at the beginning but it will be revealed in due time. Please leave a review and I hope to have a next chapter up soon. Until next time.


	2. Chapter 2

Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 2 of Hello Darkness. Thank you for those who have reviewed to chapter one. I cannot reveal if it is going to be a Rumplestiltskin/OC story or not, but it will be revealed soon. I do promise you that. It might not be in this story or it might be. I have quite decided yet. But it will be revealed at some point. Without further ado Chapter 2 of Hello Darkness, Enjoy!

 **Chapter 2**

The Thing You Love The Most

The Evil Queen appeared in another castle, the sword that the prince had thrown embedded itself into the wall behind her.

A man stood there with a tray with drinks on them. "Would you like something to drink?" Henry asked looking up at her hoping that she would like to have something to drink. Perhaps something to drink since she had come back from a wedding so suddenly like she had.

"Do I look like I need a drink?" The Queen asked looking at him with narrowed eyes seething a bit in anger.

"I was only trying to help." Henry said softly feeling a bit hurt that she was taking her anger out on him. He handed a glass to her.

"Thank you." She said with a wicked smile.

"Now, that was an awfully big threat. Destroy everyone's happiness? How do you plan on accomplishing that?" The mirror asked from behind them.

"The dark curse." The Evil Queen replied simply like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Are you sure, Your Majesty?" Henry asked in concern.

"But you said you'd never use it." The mirror said in bewilderment.

"You made a deal when you gave away that curse."

"You traded it away."

"She won't be happy to see you. And you know that someone else won't be happy." Henry told her.

"Since when do I care about anyone else's happiness, but mine? Prepare the carriage. We're going to the forbidden fortress." She ordered him.

He bowed his head knowing that there was no way to get through to her. Her mind was set, and once it was set it was set.

OUAT

The Evil Queen sat with Maleficent by the fire.

"How are you, dear?" Maleficent asked with a smile looking over at the Evil Queen.

"I'm doing fine." She said looking at Maleficent.

"Are you? If it were me, I'd be simply tortured watching that flake of Snow so happy. Weren't you about the same age when you were to be married? Before she ruined it all. Yes, you were." Maleficent said remembering that the Evil Queen was that age when she was to be married at that age.

"Yes, it was about the same age you when that Sleeping Beauty got the best of you, my dear Maleficent." The Evil Queen told her as well reminding her that Sleeping Beauty had gotten the best of her as well.

"I soldiered on, as you will too. Hopefully." She said looking over at her friend.

"Enough games. You know why I'm here." She snapped at Maleficent. "I need my curse back."

"It's not yours anymore. A deal's a deal. I traded you my sleeping curse." She reminded the Evil Queen of which curse she had traded it for.

"Which failed. Undone by a simple kiss. No please, return what's mine." She ordered Maleficent, she wasn't about to play games with her. She was fed up with playing nice with her. She wanted the curse back so she could use it.

"The dark curse? Really? You must know that not even its unholy power can bring your loved one back from the dead. Have your considered a pet? They can be quite comforting." She tried talking the Evil Queen out of getting the curse back. After all it was someone who had talked her into getting a pet. It was a good person that had talked her into getting a pet. A woman that had been around for a long while helping others and trying to make sure that evil didn't get a hold on the world.

"The only comfort for me is Snow White's suffering." She said with a smirk.

"Well, it's her wedding night. I doubt she's suffering right now." Maleficent said rolling her eyes.

"I need that curse. I know you keep it hidden in the orb above your staff."

"Hidden for the good of all, old friend. Whoever created that monstrosity, makes the two of us look positively… moral. Who did give it to you?"

"Where I got it it's none of your concern. Hand it back."

"Alas we must." She said using her magic to control the fireplace. She aimed it at Maleficent.

Maleficent deflected the attack on her.

She then summoned multiple weapons aiming them at Maleficent's pet Unicorn that she had help getting.

Maleficent saw this. "No!" She shouted jumping in front of her pet. She wasn't about to lose her pet. She deflected the attack.

The evil queen dropped the chandelier on Maleficent trapping her and the Unicorn together. She took Maleficent's staff. "Love is weakness, Maleficent. I thought you knew that?"

"If you're going to kill me, kill me!" She shouted at her friend.

"Why would I do that? You're my only friend." She said before shattering the orb on the staff and taking the scroll out of it.

"Don't do this. This… curse. There are lines even we shouldn't cross. All power comes with a price. Enacting it will take a terrible toll. It will leave an emptiness inside you. A void you will never be able to fill."

"Who told you this?"

"None of your concern. Aren't you worried about this. A void that you will never be able to fill?"

"So be it." She said leaving her friend trapped in the chandelier that she had dropped.

Maleficent dropped her head and turned to her unicorn which was thankfully alive. She patted its head lightly. "Thank goodness you're still alive." She said softly.

OUAT

Emma was at Granny's Dinner reading the newspaper and eating the apple that Regina had given her.

Ruby gave her a cocoa. "Here you go." She said with a smile.

"Thank you, but I didn't order that."

"Yeah, I know. You have an admirer." She said with a wink, she looked up when she heard the bell ring and saw Mac enter with a tired look on her face. The smile left her face and saw the pale look on her friend's face. Ruby shook her head and went to go and get coffee for the young woman that just came in.

Emma got up from the table and walked over with the cocoa putting it in front of him.

"Ah, so you decided to stay." Graham said with a smile.

"Observant. Important for a cop." Emma said putting her hands on her hips.

"It's good news for our tourist business, bad for our local signage. It's… It's a joke. It's because you ran over our sign." Graham said shaking his head.

"Look, the cocoa was a nice gesture, and I am impressed that you guess that I like sinnamon on my chocolate because most people don't, but I am not here to flirt. So thank you, but no thank you." She said turning him down.

"I didn't send it." Graham said looking at her.

She looked at him with wide eyes.

"I did. I like cinnamon, too." Henry said with a smile from the booth that he sat in.

"Don't you have school?" Emma asked looking at him.

"Duh. I'm like ten. Walk me." Henry told her as he got out of the booth.

"Henry you might want to hurry up. I think I saw the bus starting to head towards the stop not that long ago." Mac said as she took a seat at the counter. She rested her arms against it before tangling her hand into her hair.

"Thanks Kenzie." Henry said with a huge smile on his face.

"Any time kiddo. Any time to keep you on time." Mac smiled at him as he grabbed Emma's arm and dragged her out of the dinner with him. She shook her head as Ruby placed the coffee cup in front of her. "Thanks." She nodded to Ruby in thanks.

"You didn't get much sleep again did you?" Ruby asked leaning against the counter looking at Mac with concerned eyes.

Mac shook her head. "No… Leroy was being a little louder than usual… Thankfully he wasn't out being a menace in town…"

"Drunk?" Ruby asked as Mac made her coffee up.

Mac nodded her head. "He was upset about something. I didn't ask. Don't bother to any more. Spent most of the night painting."

Graham got up from his table and put money onto the counter. "Here… I'm paying for Mac's breakfast and coffee."

Mac looked up at him with wide eyes. "Why?" She asked in confusion wondering why Graham was paying for her meal and coffee.

Graham shrugged his shoulders and offered her a small smile. "I know you have been working hard MacKenzie. I know you have been painting Regina something… And dealing with your brother, Leroy isn't easy."

Mac nodded her head in understanding. "Thank you Graham."

Graham patted Mac on her shoulder. "Have a good day."

"Thanks." She said softly.

Graham headed out the door.

Ruby smiled. "It seems Graham has taken a liking to you."

Mac shook her head. "He is Regina's play thing remember." She said rolling eyes. "Remember her territory. He's just being nice." She took a sip of her coffee. "He's just being nice to me because I painting something for Regina. Any other time I am just a simple wall flower. No body hardly notices me remember."

Ruby let out a sigh and picked up the money off of the counter. "You need to go out and do things."

"No… I don't want to be know as the town drunkard like my brother." She said scoffing a bit running a hand through her platinum blonde hair.

"Come on you just need a good time with some girlfriends." Ruby pleaded with her.

"I work two different jobs."

"I know…"

"Which I'm going to be late for Ruby… if I don't get my breakfast… And my doctor's appointment."

Ruby nodded her head and went to go and put her order in.

Mac let out a sigh and rubbed her temples. It was going to be another long day at work and she knew it. Plus her appointment with Archie.

OUAT

"So what's the deal with you and your mom?" Emma asked looking at Henry.

"It's not about us, it's about her curse. We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one- identification. I call it Operation Cobra." Henry said with a smile.

"Cobera? That has nothing to do with fairy tales."

"Exactly. It's a code name to throw the Queen off the trail."

"So, everyone here is a fairy tale character. They just don't know it?" Emma asked putting her hands in her back pockets.

"That's the curse. Time's been frozen… until you got here."

Emma took a bite of her apple.

"Hey! Where'd you get that?"

"Your mom."

"Don't eat that!" He took the apple throwing it over his shoulder.

"Okay, uh. Alright. What about their pasts?"

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything. And you'll see."

"So, for decades, people have been walking around in a haze, not aging, with screwed up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious."

"I knew you'd get it. That's why we need you. You're the only one who can stop her curse." Henry explained to her.

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yes. And right now, we have the advantage. My mom doesn't know that. I took out the end. The part with you in it. See? Your mom is Snow White."

"Kid…." Emma said with a groan.

"I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. If you need proof take them. Read them. But whatever you do, don't let her see the pages. They're dangerous. If she finds out who you are, the it would be bad. I got to go. But I'll find you later and we can get started. I know you'd believe me."

"I never said I did."

"Why else would you be here?" He questioned before he ran into the school.

Mary Margaret saw Emma and walked up to her. "It's good to see his smile back." She said with a smile.

"I didn't do anything." Emma explained to Mary Margaret.

"You stayed. So, does the Mayor know you're still here?" She asked looking at Emma curiously.

"Oh, she knows. What's her deal? She's not a great people person. How did she get elected?"

"She's been mayor for as long as I can remember. No one's ever been brave enough to run against her. She inspires quite a bit of, well, fear. I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen." She said shaking her head

"Who does he think you are?"

"Oh, it's silly." She said with a giggle.

"I jus got five minutes of silly. Lay it on me."

"Snow White. Who does he think you are?"

"I'm not in the book. Can I ask you a favour? Regina mentioned the kid's in therapy. Do you know where I could find the doctor?" She asked curiously.

"Oh yes, of course. But I think he is with the artist that works in town." She told Emma.

"Oh that would be the woman with Platinum blonde hair."

Mary Margaret nodded her head. "Yes, that would be her."

OUAT

There was a knock on the door and Emma opened the door to Archie's office.

Mac gathered her things up. "Thanks Archie."

"Anytime. And MacKenzie…"

Mac looked at him. "Yes…" She asked softly looking at him in confusion.

"If you need to talk to me outside of the office. You can always talk to me. You know that."

"I know Archie." She said softly with a small smile. "I'll see you next time." She said leaving quickly.

Archie nodded his head. He looked at Emma. "Emma Swann. Let me guess… you're here for a little help with post traumatic stress? That diagnosis was free by the way."

"No, I'm here about Henry." Emma said coming into the room.

"I'm sorry. I… I really shouldn't…" Archie said looking at her with wide eyes. He couldn't disclose anything about Henry to her.

"I know, I'm sorry. Just tell me something. This fairy tale obsession… what is causing it? I mean, he thinks everyone is a character in his book. That's crazy." She told him.

"I hope you don't talk that way in front of him. That word crazy is, um, quite damaging. These stories… They're his language. He has no idea how to express complex emotion, so he's translating as best he can. This is how he communicates, when he's using this book to help deal with his problems."

"But he got the book a month a go. Has he been seeing you longer than that?"

"Um, yes, he has." Archie admitted.

"So it's Regina, isn't it."

"Uh, his mother is, uh, a very complicated woman. And, uh, over the years, her attempts to try and bring Henry close to her only backfired. Why don't you take a look at the file? Um, see what I mean." Archie gets his file from the cabinet and handed it to her.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked looking at him.

"We talked about you a lot. And you're very important to him." Archie explained to Emma with a small smile.

"Thank you."

"Just, uh, see that I get it back, okay? And Miss Swan. Just for the sake of the boy, be careful to handle his belief system. Destroying his imagination would be… be devastating."

Emma left the room.

Archie picked up the phone and dialed a number. "You were right. She was just here. Caught a patient on the way out of their session."

" _Did she take the file?"_

"Yes. How did you know that she was going to come here?"

" _Because I'm the one that gave her the idea."_

OUAT

Mac was headed on her way back to work after making a delivery when she saw that Graham was walking towards the inn.

"MacKenzie off to work again?" He asked looking at the tired working woman. He was concerned that she was going to faint on the spot. She always looked so tired when he saw her. It was always the same. He never understood why she overworked herself.

"Yeah… where are you off to Sheriff Graham?"

"Dr. Hopper called me. Got to talk to the visitor."

She blinked a few times. "You mean that lady that brought Henry back?"

He nodded his head. "Have a good day MacKenzie."

She nodded her head. "You too Sheriff Graham." She said as she went walking towards the shop that she was working it.

OUAT

Mac came into the police station while Graham was in the middle of taking Emma's mug shot.

"You know the shrink is lying, right?" Emma asked looking at him.

"To the right, please. Why would he lie?" Graham asked.

"The Mayor put him up to this. She's gotta have something on him. He's terrified of her like everyone else in this… town."

"To the left." He said after snapping her picture. "Regina may be a touch intimidating, but I don't think she'd go as far as a frame job."

"How far would she go? What does she have her hand in?"

"Well, she's the Mayor. She has her hands in everything."

"Including the police force?"

"Sheriff?" Mac called out to him.

Graham quickly looked over and saw her there. "Ah Miss Stone. What can I do for you?"

"Leroy is on another bender again." She let out a sigh. "Can you please call me if he ends up here again?" Her hands went onto the table.

Graham looked at the tired young woman. He let out a soft sigh and nodded his head. "Yes of course MacKenzie, but you really should call off work and get some sleep. You shouldn't really be working with how run down you look."

"How else am I to pay rent Sheriff?" She asked looking at him."Wouldn't be able to afford it any other way if I don't work. But thank you Sheriff." She smiled a small sad smile before leaving past Mary Margaret and Henry who came rushing into the jail.

"Hey!" Henry shouted.

"Henry! Henry, what are you doing here?" Graham asked in shock, looking at the young boy. Regina was not going to like this.

"His mother told him what happened." Mary Margaret explained why Henry was there.

"Of course she did. Henry, I don't know what she said…"

"You're a genius." Henry said with a smile.

"What?" Emma asked in confusion.

"I know what you were up to. You were gathering intel for Operation Cobra."

"I'm sorry. I'm a bit lost." Graham said looking at the little boy.

"It's a need to know, Sheriff. And all you need to know is that Miss Blanchard's going to bail her out."

"You are? Why?" Emma asked looking at the school teacher.

"I, uh, trust you."

"Well, if you can uncuff me, I have something to do." Emma explained to them.

OUAT

Rumplestiltskin sat in the cell with mice everywhere in the cell and in the hall. He leaned his head back against the wall. "It's just us, dearie. You can show yourself." He called out.

The Evil Queen showed herself transforming into herself from one of the mice outside of the cell. She looked at Rumplestiltskin. "That curse you gave me… it's not working."

He looked up at her. "Oh so worried. So, so worried. Like Snow and her lovely new husband." He tisked at her.

"What?" She questioned her eyes widening.

"They paid me a visit, as well." He didn't mention the fact that he had another visitor. He wouldn't mention the female visitor that he had. He would never mention her to the Evil Queen due to the fact that she would try to kill her and Rumpelstiltskin would never have her killed. "They were very anxious… about you and the curse."

"What'd you tell them?" She questioned him gripping onto the bar looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"The truth! That nothing can stop the darkness. Except, of course, their unborn child. You see, no matter how powerful, all curses can be broken. Their child is the key. Of course, the curse has to be enacted first."

"Tell me what I did wrong." She said lowering her tone.

"For that, there's a price."

"What do you want?"

"Simple. In this new land, I want comfort. I want a good life."

"Fine. You'll have an estate. Be rich."

"I wasn't finished. There's more!"

"There's always is with you."

"In this new land, should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request. You must do whatever I say. So long as I say please."

"You do realize, that should I succeed, you won't remember any of this?"

"Oh, well then. What's the harm?"

"Deal. What must I do to enact this curse?"

"You need to sacrifice a heart."

"I sacrificed my prized steed."

"A horse? This is the curse to end all curses. You think a horse is going to do? Great power requires great sacrifice. The heart you need must come from something far more precious."

"Tell me what will suffice."

"The heart of something you love most."

"What I love most died because of Snow White."

"Oh. Is there no one else you truly love? This curse isn't going to be easy. Vengeance never isn't, dearie. You have to ask yourself the simple question. How far are you willing to go?"

"As far as it takes."

"Then please don't waste everyone's time and just do it. You know what you love. Now go kill it." Rumplestiltskin told her waving his hand at her telling her to go.

The Evil Queen left the prison. She knew what she had to do.

OUAT

Mac was on her way to deliver something to Regina before she could head home for the night. She had been sent home from work thanks to her boss seeing her so exhausted.

Henry came running out of the office almost bumping into her.

"Whoa Henry where's the fire?" She asked looking down at him.

He wiped the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. "Can you take me to my appointment?" He asked softly.

Mac looked at the building. "Are you sure that your mom is going to be okay with that?" She asked concerned.

He shook his head. "I don't care. I just want to go now."

"Okay. Come on. I'll take you to Archie." She said as she turned on her heels and began to walk him towards Archie's place.

"Is that what mom wanted you to paint?" He questioned looking at her.

Mac nodded her head. "Yeah. I just finished it."

"I thought you would be at work…"

"The boss told me to go home… So I finished this up. I thought that why not… Archie told me that I was doing fairly good with these." Mac said with a small smile.

Henry smiled looking up at her. "Yeah. You are good at painting. Sometimes I wonder who you are."

"Really? Like a fairy tale character?" She asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah."

"And who do you think I am?"

"I don't know."

She smiled lightly. "There are so many fairy tale characters out there. I could be anyone."

Henry nodded his head. "I just want to know which one."

"Well…. I am sure that you will think it over." She said with a smile, as they walked into the building. She walked him up to Archie's door. She knocked on it and opened it. "Hey Archie."

"MacKenzie…" Archie said in surprise.

"I'm just here to drop Henry off." She said with a smile looking at the young boy that was with her.

Henry looked at her. "Thank you." He said with a smile.

Mac messed with his hair on the top of his head. "Any time." She looked at Archie. "I'll see you at my next appointment Archie."

Archie cleared his throat. "Right MacKenzie."

"You be good Henry." She said with a small smile before she left to go and try to deliver her painting to Regina.

OUAT

The Evil Queen walked down the hall past several mirrors that were on the walls.

"What happened? Did you get your answer? What's going on? Your Majesty? Your Majesty!" The mirror called to her.

She walked into the room. She had remained silent. She hadn't want to talk. She didn't know what to do.

"Did Rumpelstiltskin tell you what you needed to know?" He asked looking at her.

"Yes." She said softly.

"And?"

"I'm not sure I should say. I'm conflicted." She said sitting down.

"How bad is it? Maybe I can help."

"I have to cut out the heart of the thing I love most." She whispered softly.

"Me?"

"Daddy, I don't know what to do."

"My dear, please. You don't have to do this."

"Then move past this. I know this may sound self-serving, but you don't need to enact the curse."

"But I can't keep living like this. What Snow did to me, what she took from me? It's eating me alive, daddy. Her very existence mocks me. She must be punished."

"But if the price is a hole that will never be filled, why do it? Stop worrying about Snow White and start over. We can have a new life." Henry told her softly. He knew that they could do that.

"But what kind of life? All I've worked for, all I've built, would be gone. My power will disappear. They already think I'm nothing."

"Power is seductive. But so is love. You can have that again."

"I just want to be happy."

"You can be. Of this I'm sure. But I believe, given the chance, we can find happiness. Together. But the choice is yours."

"I think you're right. I can be happy. Just not here." She ripped her father's heart out killing him. "I'm sorry." She whispered softly.

OUAT

Mac walked down the street headed towards Regina's home.

Emma was walking up the street looking for something. "Hey." She called out to Mac.

Mac stopped in her tracks looking at Emma. "Yes… Emma it was right?" She asked her a little nervously, she really hated it when she got the name wrong.

"Yeah. Your name is MacKenzie right?"

She nodded her head.

"I'm looking for where Mary Margaret lives." She said rubbing the back of her head.

"Oh...I can um show you… but that will make me a bit late…" She said looking down at her painting that she held in her hand.

"Something for Regina?" Emma asked looking at it.

"Yeah… Regina will be so upset if I am late again." She said softly.

"Well no offense to Regina she can deal with it."

Mac gasped. "You know that she could make my life a living hell."

"If she does tell me."

"But what can you do?"

Emma smiled. "Please just show me please."

Mac shyly nodded her head. "Okay." She said softly as she began to lead the way to Mary Margaret's apartment.

"So um…" Emma looked down at the ground as they walked. "Thank you for um… Henry to his appointment."

Mac looked at her. "How did you know it was me taking him to his appointment that he is still at?" She asked softly tilting her head to the side. How did Emma know that it was her?

"You are the only one that has platinum blonde hair." Emma said with a small smile.

Mac's face went a little red. "I do it more than people think." She said softly.

"I just want to thank you for taking him today."

Mac nodded her head. "It was no problem." She said softly as she stopped outside of a building. "This is where she lives. Go up the stairs. She is the third door on the left."

"Thank you for this MacKenzie."

Mac nodded her head. "You're welcome." Mac shook her head and went to go and get to where she needed to go to Regina's before Regina docked money off of the painting that she had worked so hard on.

Emma walked inside after Mac left and went up the stairs and went the directions that Mac had given her. She knocked on the door. The door opened revealing Mary Margaret. "Hey. Just wanted to say thank you and, um, pay you back the bail money."

Mary Margaret smiled. "You look like you need to talk."

Emma came into her home.

Mary Margaret made them both some cocoa.

"Cinnamon?" Emma asked looking up at Mary Margaret in confusion.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should've asked. It's a little quirk of mine. Do you mind?" She asked hoping that she hadn't offended Emma at all.

"Not at all. Oh, thanks." She said as Mary Margaret handed her the cocoa. "When you bailed me out, you said you trusted me. Why?"

"It's strange. Ever since you arrived here, I've had the oddest feeling like we met before. And I know it's crazy."

"I'm starting to re-evaluate my definition of crazy." Emma explained to Mary Margaret with a shake of her head. She really was.

"For what it's worth, I think you're innocent."

"Of breaking and entering, or just in general?" She asked looking at Mary Margaret.

"Whichever makes you feel better."

"It doesn't really matter what anyone thinks I did or didn't do. I'm leaving. Thank you… for everything… but I think it's best for the best. If I stay, Henry's only going to keep getting hurt."

"What happens if you go? I think the very fact that you want to leave, is why you have to stay. You care about him. Who will protect Henry if you won't?" Mary Margaret asked looking at her.

"What about MacKenzie? She seems to care about Henry."

"She can't protect him." Mary Margaret said shaking her head. "She is timid and Regina scares the hell out of her. "Who will protect him if you won't? It can't be her."

OUAT

Henry sat in his Therapy session with Archie.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? You know, that umbrella kind of is my good luck harm. Is that why you think I'm Jiminy Cricket?" Archie asked looking at Henry with a smile.

"I don't think you're anyone."

Emma barged into the room.

"Miss Swan. Look, I can explain. The mayor forced me to…"

"I know. Don't worry about it. I get it. Henry, I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk to you." Henry stated.

"Miss Swan if she knew you were here…."

"To hell with her. Henry, there is one simple reason I stayed here. You. I wanted to get to know you."

"You think I'm crazy."

"no, I think the curse is crazy. And it is. But, that doesn't mean that it isn't true. It is a lot to ask anyone to believe in, but there are a lot of crazy things in this world. So what do I know. Maybe it is true."

"But you told my mom."

"What she needed to hear. What I do know, is that if the curse is real, the only way to break it is by tricking the Evil Queen into thinking that we are non-believers. Cause that way, she's not onto us. Isn't that what Operation Cobra was all about? Throwing her off the trail?"

"Brilliant!"

"I've read the pages and, Henry, you are right. They are dangerous. There is only one way to make sure she that she never sees them." She threw them into the fireplace watching them burn. "Now we have the advantage."

"I knew you were here to help me."

"That's right kid. I am. And nothing, not even a cuse, is going to stop that."

OUAT

The Evil Queen stood on the cliff that she had been at before to enact the curse. She threw the heart into the fire. She walked over to another area of the cliff. She placed a rose at the base of a tombstone. "I love you daddy."

OUAT

Regina was busy cleaning up her damaged apple tree.

Mr. Gold came into her yard. "What a mess."

"Not for long. What could I do for you, Mr. Gold." Regina asked as she continued to clean up.

"I was just in the neighbourhood. Thought I'd pop by. Lovely to see you in such high spirits."

"Well, it's been a good day. I just rid the town of an unwanted nuisance."

"Emma Swan. Really?" Mr. Gold asked humming.

"Yes. I imagine she's halfway to Boston by now."

Mac squeaked when she saw Mr. Gold standing there.

"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that. I just seen her strolling down the main street with your boy. Thick as thieves, they looked."

"What?"

"Oh do come in dear." Mr. Gold said turning his head to Mac with a smile.

Mac stood frozen where she was.

Mr. Gold turned his attention back to Regina. "Perhaps you should have come to me. If Miss Swan is a problem you can fix, I'm only too happy to help. For a price of course."

"I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore."

"To which deal are you refeering?"

"You know what deal."

"Oh right. Yeah. The boy I procured for you. Henry. Did I ever tell you what a lovely name that was? However did you pick it?"

"Did you want her to come to town? You wanted all this happen, didn't you? Your finding Henry wasn't an accident, was it?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Where did you get him? DO you know something?"

"I have no idea what you're implying."

"I think you do. Who is this woman, his mother, this… Emma Swan?"

"I would say you think you know exactly who she is. I really must be going." He said as he began walking.

Regina ran ahead of him bumping into Mac standing in front of him. "Tell me what you know about her."

"I'm not going to answer you, dear. So I suggest you excuse me. Please." He said leaving.

Regina stood where she was shocked in her yard.

"Regina." Mac said softly.

Regina turned her attention to Mac. "What is it that you want Painter?"

"I bought the painting that you wanted me to do for you." She said shyly holding up the painting that she had done.

Regina saw that it was indeed finished. "I thought that you would be delivering it later."

"I finished it much sooner than anticipated."

She hummed at the thought. "Better than expected. Come in and I will pay you. You said fifty right?"

"Yes." She said softly.

"Far much more worth it. Seventy-five." She told Mac.

Mac followed her inside of her home.

Regina got $75 dollars from her purse and gave it to Mac.

Mac in turn gave the painting to Regina.

"This is very good work. Thank you."

Mac bowed her head. "Thank you Miss Mayor. Thank you so much for allowing me to paint that for you."

"Go on. Get some rest."

Mac bustled out of Regina's home. She let out a soft sigh of relief thankful that this time Regina didn't jip her on any money. She ran her hand through her hair as she pocketed the money in her back pocket letting out nervous chuckle before walking down the street. Now hopefully she wasn't going to have to bail out Leroy out of jail tonight. That would have been a bad way to end the night. She headed back towards her home.

"Ah. Miss Stone." Mr. Gold said with a smile.

Mac squeaked startled. "Oh Mr. Gold. You startled me."

"Sorry my dear I didn't mean to startle you. I was just checking on you." He said, looking her over.

Mac looked down shyly at her canvas shoes covered feet.

"Regina paid you?"

Mac nodded her head.

"You on your way home, dear?" He asked making her look up at him.

She nodded her head. "How'd…"

"Just by the way that you're walking, dear. You look like you are about to pass out. Long day?"

Mac bit her lip nervously. This was probably the longest that she had talked to Mr. Gold. She was always so shy around him. She nodded her head.

"May I walk you back to your home?"

She nervously looked up at him. "Why?"

"I am worried that you might faint on your way home Miss Stone."

She saw the look of concern in his eyes. "Okay." She said shyly.

Mr. Gold began to walk with her towards her home that she shared with her brother.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is the end of chapter 2. Guys let me know what you think. Please leave a review. I can't tell you if it is going to be a Rumplestiltskin/OC story just yet. But it might be true or it might be not. But it will reveal itself all shortly. I promise you that as this story progresses I promise. Please leave a review. Is there anything that you would like to see Mac try to do in chapters to come? Please let me know. Until next time.


	3. Chapter 3

Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 3 of Hello Darkness. MacKenzie seemed pretty close to Henry didn't she guys? Well I'm glad that you guys liked her closeness with Henry there was a reason for that. I hope that you guys will like this chapter. I worked fairly hard on placing her in this chapter like I've done with every chapter that I've placed her in. I hope that I did alright with this chapter with adding her in. I am not sure that adding her into this chapter was the easiest, but I really did try my damnedest with this chapter, so I hope that I did good with it. I tried to give her some good friendships with people because she does need friends, because even with how shy she is, shy people can have friends no matter how truly shy they are. I mean I am a shy person and I have some friends too. So MacKenzie should have some friends too besides Henry. So you will get to see a few more people that she is friends with in this chapter. So I hope that you like this chapter. Without further ado Chapter 3. Enjoy.

 **Chapter 3**

John Doe

Prince Charming and Abigail are traveling through a path in the forest together.

Charming looks at Abigail. "What do you think of the view, my dear?" He asked softly with a smile.

"I've seen better. This is taking forever. I told you the Troll Road would've been better. And far less bumpy. Are you even listening to me?" She complained to him.

"Yes, of course I am." He said lying of course not really listening to her. He didn't like listening to her. All she did was ramble on about things. Complaining about different things. It bothered him to know that he was marrying her due to what his father wanted. He had wanted to marry for true love and this was not what he had wanted. He wanted to marry his true love.

"Whoa, whoa!" The driver shouted slowing the carriage down.

"Now what?" She complained, she just wanted to get there. She wanted to get married and have a kingdom of her own away from her father and maybe spend this prince's riches and be spoiled rotten. Granted this was not what she wanted, she too wanted to be married for true love as well.

The carriage came to a stop.

Charming got out of the carriage to investigate leaving a bag on the seat. "Worry not…" He told her and he looked at what was blocking the path. "It's but a fallen tree. Fellas? Shall we?"

"My Lord? What is it?" The guard asked.

"These markings." He said once he had gotten a closer look at the tree. "This tree didn't fall… it's been cut. It's an ambush."

Abigail screamed alerting the guards and Charming that there was something wrong.

Prince Charming ran back to the carriage.

"Sir!"

"Guards! Stop, thief! Help me!" Abigail yelled.

Prince Charming got a horse and began to chase after the thief. He caught up to the thief easily. He tackled to them to the ground off of her horse. "Show your face, you coward! You're… a girl."

"Woman." Snow white said grabbing a rock and hitting his face with it. She quickly got back onto her horse.

Charming got up holding his face. "You can't hide from me! Wherever you are, I will find you." He shouted after her.

OUAT

Ruby poured another cup of coffee for Mac. "Leroy on another binge again?" She asked looking at Mac sadly. She knew that Leroy always did cause a bit of trouble for Mac. He would always go out and cause some sort of trouble by going out and drinking. He always did when something bothered him. He would never come home and talk to her and Ruby never understood why that he would just sit down and talk it over with Mac about the night time job at the hospital that he worked at.

Mac rubbed her face. "You have no idea. He always seems to get pissed off at work lately anymore. Instead of taking it out on me he decides to take it out on the bottle." She said tangling her small hand in her platinum blonde hair. "I don't know what I'm going to do any more with him. I can't keep bailing him out of jail."

Ruby smiled at Mac with a cheeky smile of her own. "You get to see Graham again." She knew that Mac kind of thing for Graham even though Mac wouldn't admit it to her. She knew that the soft stares from Mac would go unnoticed from Graham, but she knew that her friend's stares weren't unnoticed by her. She knew that Mac was smitten with Graham.

Mac's cheeks began to flush. She didn't like the act that Ruby had noticed the fact that she had been giving longing looks at Graham all this time.

"You like him don't you?"

"He's the mayor's man."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "So what if he is the mayor's man. He's been sweet on you for a while now Mac."

"Ruby nothing will become of it."

"Are you sure of that?" Ruby asked raising an eyebrow.

Mac looked down. She was lying to her friend. She knew that. But she didn't know if Graham had feelings for her or not. Of course he had been sweet on her. He had been for a while now, behind Regina's back and Regina had not known. It had been between the two of them. Of course Ruby would know, she always caught signs of things like that. It was always like her sixth sense or something.

"Now if you excuse me while you think about what I said… I got to get back to work." She said patting Mac on the shoulder getting right back to work like she was supposed to do.

Mac rubbed her forehead. Ruby always did like to over-think things. She listened around her and heard Mary Margaret who happened to be on a date as well.

"Um, where were we? Something about you wanting fifteen kids?"Dr. Whale asked looking at Mary Margaret.

"No! Good lord, no. I meant in my class where I teach. You'll meet them tomorrow. They're coming to the hospital as part of the volunteer Outreach Program." Mary Margaret said shaking her head. That was outrageous that Dr. Whale thought that she wanted that many kids.

"Oh, yeah. That's a great program." Dr. Whale said nodding his head. He should have known that she didn't want that many kids. That was his sex crazed mind that made him think like that.

"I mean, obviously I don't want fifteen kids of my own. Um, I mean, not that I don't want kids. I do. I want kids, marriage, true love… I want it all. That that of course is…."

Dr. Whale was ignoring her and was too busy looking at Ruby who was cleaning off a table. He was taken by her, she hardly wore anything that covered her legs often. She always had shown her legs like this and it was something that always distracted him and he approved of it. He truly did.

She turned her head and saw this. "Wildly inappropriate for me to discuss on a first date."

"Hm?"

"Ruby!" She shouted for her friend. She couldn't deal with this, not on a first date. This date sucked and she needed to end it quickly. She needed to get out of this bad date, so she was just going to end it while she was still ahead of the game.

"Yes, Mary Margaret?" Ruby asked looking up from the table that she was cleaning off.

Mary Margaret sighed. "Check, please."

Ruby nodded her head and went to go and get the check for Mary Margaret.

"A bad date for Mary Margaret?" Mac asked softly.

Ruby nodded her head. She hated to see a date go down the drain, she really did. Mary Margaret deserved better than this.

"Dr. Whale is a pervert." Mac said shaking her head. "She would have been better off with someone else. Anyone else that doesn't stare at women like they are a piece of meat."

Ruby patted Mac's hand. "I know what you mean. Stick around. I'll walk you home."

Mac nodded her head. "Yeah sure."

"Maybe a girl's night tonight?" Ruby grinned the idea being a good one in her mind.

"You know what happens." Mac shook her head, knowing that the idea was a bad one.

Ruby gave her a cheeky smile. "Oh don't deny it. You didn't hate it."

"Last time you gave me bright red streaks and Leroy had a fit." Mac reminded Ruby about what had happened the last time that Ruby had stayed over.

"Oh come on… Please?" She said pouting a bit. "I want to try something."

Mac let out a sigh. "Okay. Okay."

"Okay." Ruby said with a smile before heading over to Mary Margaret with the check.

OUAT

Mary Margaret walked down the street and saw Emma in her little yellow beat up punch bug. "Hey. You okay?" She asked concerned about Emma's well being.

"Oh, in the world of tight spots I've been in, crashing in my car doesn't even rank in the top ten." Emma explained to her. She had been in worse places than that.

"You're sleeping here?"

"Till I find a place." Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"You decided to stay. For Henry." Mary Margaret guessed with a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess. This town doesn't seem to have any vacancies. None, actually. Is that normal."

"Must be the curse."

"Why are you out so late?" Emma asked raising an eyebrow looking at her.

"Well, I'm a teacher, not a nun. I had a date."

"From the looks of things, it went well."

"As well as they ever do." Mary Margaret said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Tell me he at least paid."

Mary Margaret hummed at that.

"Ew." Emma scrunched her nose at the thought that Mary Margaret had paid for dinner.

"Well, guess if true love was easy, we'd all have it. You know, if things get cramped, I do have a spare room." Mary Margaret said offering to Emma with a small smile hoping that Emma would maybe take her up on the offer.

"Thanks. I'm not really the roommate type. It's just not my thing. I do better on my own." Emma explained to her.

"Well, goodnight. Good luck with Henry."

"Yeah…" Emma said softly as she watched Mary Margaret walk down the street. She was surprised that Mary Margaret offered her a room to stay in. She heard laughing and turned her head. She saw Ruby walking with Mac heading towards she supposed where Mac lived in town.

Mac saw Emma. "Don't you have a place to stay Emma?" She asked softly in concern. She always cared about people's well beings even though she was timid and shy.

"I'm fine. I've been in worse spots."

"Sleeping in a car… that can't be too comfortable. Are you sure that you wouldn't want to crash on my couch for the night?"

"Thanks for the offer MacKenzie, but you hardly know me." Emma said looking at the platinum blonde haired woman.

"I feel like I can trust you. It's not like you're going to hurt me. Besides you're Henry's real mother and he trusts you…"

"It's nice for the offer, but I'll be fine."

"Okay." Mac said with a small smile.

Ruby linked her arm with Mac's. "Now no more yammering I got work to do on you."

Mac looked at Ruby shyly. "You aren't going to go overboard are you?"

"Oh Missy you will be to die for."

"No red in my hair. Leroy was pretty upset about it."

"I won't do it again. I promise."

Mac let out a sigh. "Okay."

OUAT

Henry was in the room with John Doe. He went to touch his face when Mary Margaret came into the room.

"Henry. We could really use your help with the decorations."

"Is Mr. Doe going to be okay, Miss Blanchard?" Henry asked looking at his teacher concerned.

"His name's not John Doe, honey. That's just what they call people when they don't know who they are." Mary Margaret explained to Henry.

"Do you know who he is?" Henry asked curiously.

"Nope. Just bring him flowers on my rounds." She said with a small smile.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. He's been like this as long as I've been volunteering." She explained to him. She really wished she knew what was wrong with him. "Same way with Mac when she comes and makes her rounds with her paintings."

"When is does she make her rounds. And does he have any friends of family?"

"Soon. And no one's claimed him."

"So, he's all alone."

"Yeah… it's quite sad."

"You sure you don't know him?"

"Course I'm sure. Come on. You shouldn't be in here." Mary Margaret told him ushering him out of the room.

OUAT

Henry and Emma are at Henry's little caste.

"I found your father… Prince Charming." Henry said with a smile.

"Henry…" Emma said giving him a slight tone of warning.

"He's in the hospital, in a coma. See the scar? He has one, too." Henry explained.

"So? Lots of people have scars." Emma tried to explain to him.

"In the same place. Don't you see what this means? The curse is keeping them apart with the coma. Now they're stuck without each other. We have to tell Miss Blanchard we found her Prince Charming." Henry said looking at his mother.

"Okay, kid. Telling someone that their soul-mate is in a coma is probably not helpful. Not having a happy ending is painful enough, but giving someone unrealistic hope is far worse." Emma said shaking her head.

"But what if I'm right? We know who they are. Now they have to know."

"And how do you intend to make that happen?" She questioned looking at him. She really wanted to know what he had in mind of trying to get them to remember who they were.

"By reminding him. We have to get her to read their story to John Doe. Then, maybe, he'll remember who he is."

"Okay." Emma said looking at Henry. She wasn't about to crush his hope of thinking about this curse.

"Okay?"

"Yeah, we'll do it. But we'll do it my way. Let me ask her." Emma said looking at him. She wanted to do it her way. It would probably work out for the best it they did it her way. It probably wouldn't end so badly if they did it her way.

OUAT

Mary Margaret is making cocoa for both her an Emma. "You want me to read to a coma patient?"

"Henry thinks it will help him remember who he was." Emma said looking at Mary Margaret.

"And, who does he think he was?" Mary Margaret asked sitting Emma's cocoa in front of her looking at Emma.

"Prince Charming."

"And if I'm Snow White, he thinks me… and him…"

"He has a very active imagination, which is the point. I can't talk him out of his beliefs, so we need to show him. Play along, do what he say and maybe, just maybe."

"He'll see that fairy tales are just that. That there's no such things as love at first sight or fist kiss. He'll see reality."

"Something like that." Emma admitted.

"Well, sadly this plan is rather genius." Mary Margaret said with a sad nod of her head. "We get him to the truth without hurting him."

"I told him that we will all meet tomorrow for breakfast at Granny's. And you will give a full report."

"Well, I suppose I'll get ready for my date. I guess I'll have to do all of the talking." She said with a small smile. This didn't sound half bad. At least this wouldn't be as bad as the date with Dr. Whale not in the least bit.

OUAT

Mac was busy doing her rounds putting new paintings in patients bedrooms. She saw Mary Margret coming into the hospital. "Mary Margaret I thought you weren't coming in tonight?"

Mary Margaret smiled shyly. "I was coming into visit the coma patient."

"Oh?"

"To read."

"They can hear." Mac said with a smile. "And that is awfully nice of you Mary Margaret. I will be stopping by there shortly with a new painting."

"What did you paint for the room?"

"Oh you know me Mary Margaret I never show the paintings. You see them on your rounds."

"And they are glorious every-time that I see them." Mary Margaret nodded her head smiling at Mac. It was true, she really did love Mac's art work.

Mac chuckled lightly.

"You are an amazing painter."

"I'm glad that you think that." Mac said shyly ducking her head.

OUAT

Mary Margaret had gone and gotten Dr. Whale when something had happened in John Doe's room. "No, I'm sure he's waking up. He… He grabbed my hand." She explained to him. There was no way that she was imagining that happened.

"Everything is steady." He said once they had gone into the room. "The same as it's always been. What were doing doing in here?" He questioned looking at her.

"Oh, I was just reading him a story." She told him.

"Oh. Well perhaps you, um, dozed off. Perhaps you imagined it."

"No, I didn't imagine anything." She said shaking her head. She knew that she hadn't. She knew that was true. There was now way that was true.

"Miss Blanchard, I can only tell you what I see, which is nothing. Sometimes there are minor fluctuations in reading. Perhaps you heard the machine register something and misunderstood? Look, why don't you go home, get some rest. If anything changes, I'll call you, okay?"

Mary Margaret left unsure of what to think of what was going on.

Dr. Whale dialed a number.

" _Yes?"_

"It's Dr. Whale. You told me to call you if there was ever a change in John Doe. Something's happened."

" _What?"_

"One of our volunteers said he grabbed her. And there was a slight fluctuation in brain activity."

" _And who was this volunteer?"_

" Mary Margaret Blanchard."

OUAT

Snow White was gathering various things into a bag. She put a necklace around her neck that had a bottle on it. She slung the bag over her shoulder. She began to walk a short distance through the wood only to be caught in a net.

Charming came out of his hiding spot laughing. "I told you I'd find you. No matter what you do, I will always find you." He said with a smirk.

"Is this the only way you can catch a woman? By entrapping her?" Snow White asked in a huff.

"It's the only way to catch thieving scum."

"Aren't you a real 'prince charming'." She said rolling her eyes.

"I have a name you know."

"Don't care. Charming suits you. Now cut me down, Charming."

"I'll release you, when you return the leather pouch you stole with my jewels."

"Not the jewelry type."

"Indeed. I noticed."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She snapped looking at him. "Are you insulting me?"

"No, quite right. My apologies. How dare I cast aspersions at the person who robbed me? Where are my jewels?"

"I sold them."

"What?" He asked in shock.

"What do you care? Don't you have a palace full of treasures somewhere?"

"These were special. Among them was a ring that belonged to my mother. A ring I was about to give…"

"The nag with the nag with a bad attitude? That's what this is about?"

"She's my fiance."

"Good luck with that. You must be getting something impressive to have agreed to that union."

"Excuse me?"

"I know how this works. True love? It doesn't exist. It's all arranged marriages and business transactions. There's not such thing as love at first sight or first kiss. Let me guess… her kingdom wants to takeover yours and this is, what, a last ditch effort to avoid war?"

"This is not a take over. It's a merger, and quite frankly, it's none of your business. Now, this is what's going to happen."

She hummed at the thought.

"I'm going to cut you down and you will take me to whoever has my jewels and then, you're going to get my ring back."

She hummed. "And why would I do that?"

"Because you don't want me to tell anyone who you really are." He said with a smirk he said showing her a piece of paper that showed her it was her wanted poster. "Show White. Help me get my ring back, or I turn you over to the Queen's forces. And I have a feeling the Queen's not as 'charming' as I am."

"Well, I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your getting true love." Snow said rolling her eyes at the thought of him getting his true love when she wasn't getting her own true love story.

He cut her down.

OUAT

Henry and Emma were sitting in Granny's diner.

"Thanks for the shirt." Emma said smoothing out the shirt she wore. "Hey, is this your mother's?"

"She'll never notice." Henry said shaking his head. It was true, half of the time his mother didn't notice half of he stuff that he had done. She hadn't notice when he wandered off with MacKenzie.

"Where does she think you are, anyways?"

"Playing Whack-A-Mole."

"And she bought that?" Emma asked in surprise. She had to admit that this kid was pretty good at coming up with some pretty good lies to his mother, but she couldn't help but wonder if Regina was buying them due to the fact that Regina was a smart woman.

"She wants to believe it, so she does." Henry said shrugging his shoulders.

"Oh, imagine that."

Mary Margaret entered the diner.

"She's here."

"Hey don't get your hopes up. We're just connection started, okay?" Emma told him.

"He's remembering!"

"What did the doctor say?" Emma asked looking at Mary Margaret.

"That I imagined it, but I'm not crazy. I know it happened." She said shaking her head.

"We have to go back. You have to read to him again." Henry said with a nod of his head.

"Let's go."

"Wait, wait what?" Asked Emma in confusion.

"If I got though to him, if we made a connection."

"You don't believe…." Emma asked looking at Mary Margaret.

"That he's Prince Charming? Of course not. Somehow, some way, I touched him."

OUAT

Henry, Emma, and Mary Margret returned to the hospital seeing Graham with MacKenzie.

"You're right... he's waking up." Henry said with a smile.

Graham looked at Henry. "Henry, you should stay back."

"What's going on? Is it John Doe? Is he okay?" Mary Margaret asked in concern worried about John Doe, after all she had touched him.

"He's missing." Graham explained to them. "He had knocked MacKenzie out of the way." He pointed out the young woman who was busy getting her stitches checked by one of the nurses. He winced when he saw her wincing at the touch of the nurse touching her stitches.

Mary Margaret, Henry, and Emma saw Regina in John Doe's room and she saw them.

She walked over to them. "What the hell are you doing here? And you..." She said looking at Henry. "I thought you were at the arcade. Now you're lying to me?" She didn't like the fact that Henry was lying to her.

"What happened to John Doe? Did someone take him?" Mary Margaret asked looking at Graham concerned about the man that she had read the story to.

"We don't know yet. His IV's were ripped out, but there's no sign of for sure there's a struggle. But MacKenzie was hit in the head with something, but she doesn't remember what happened." Graham explained to them putting his hands in his jacket.

"What did you do?" Henry asked looking at Regina with narrowed eyes.

"You think I had something to do with this?"

"It is curious that the Mayor is here."

"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact."

"You know him?"

"I found him. On the side of the road years ago with no ID. I brought him here." Regina explained to them.

"Mayor Mills saved his life." Dr. Whale explained to them with a nod of his head.

"Will he be okay?" Mary Margaret asked hoping that he would be okay out there.

"Okay? The man's been on feeding tubes for years on constant supervision. He needs to get back here right away or, quite honestly, 'okay' might be a pipe dream."

"Well then, let's quit yapping and start looking." Emma said putting her hands in her pockets.

"That's what we're doing? Just stay out of this, dear. And since I clearly can't keep you away from my son, I guess I'm just going to have to keep my son away from you. Enjoy my shirt, because that's all you're getting. Sheriff, find John Doe. You heard Dr. Whale. Time is precious." She grabbed Henry's arm taking him away from Emma.

Graham looked at the doctor. "Doctor, how long between your rounds since you last saw him?"

"Twelve hours or so." Dr. Whale explained to him. "That was when Miss Stone was here." He pointed at MacKenzie. "She was hanging up paintings what she had left. I left her here because she putting paintings up like she normally does."

"Then that's what we need to account for..." He said with a nod of his head.

"Leroy and Walter would have the tape of what have happened." MacKenzie explained to them. She knew that Leroy and Walter would have the tapes because they worked the night shift. That was something that they were supposed to keep an eye on at night time. Well mainly Walter due to the fact that Leroy had a tenancy to drink during the night shifts because of well issues that she only knew.

The four of them walked into the security room.

Walter and Leroy were in there waiting for them inside of the room.

"You two were the only employees on the floor last night. And you saw nothing?" Graham questioned them wanting to know if they were the only ones and if they had seen nothing on the tapes.

Walter shook his head. "Not a thing other than Leroy's sister, putting up painting's up like she normally does." He pointed out to them. It was true, he only had seen Mac putting up her paintings in the rooms like she normally did and that was it, nothing else.

"Did anyone walk by?" Emma asked.

"I didn't see nothing." Leroy said shaking his head.

"Well that's helpful." Mac said letting out a soft sigh feeling a slight headache coming on.

"Miss Blanchard, was there anything unusual you saw during your trip with your class?" Graham asked looking at Mary Margaret.

"I don't think so." She said looking at him.

"We're looking at the wrong tape." Emma stated looking at the tape more closely. "This is the ward where Henry's class put up decorations. If this really was the tape from last night, we'd see the banners the kids hung."

"Tch." Leroy looked over at Walter. "You fell asleep again." He was about fed up with the fact that Walter kept falling asleep on the job.

Walter looked at him with wide eyes. "You selling me out?" He was surprised that his best friend was selling him out on the job. Granted yes he fell , but it wasn't his fault that he had fallen asleep. It just happened because he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

"I ain't getting fired for this." Leroy said crossing his arms looking at Walter.

"Oh for the love of god." MacKenzie said shaking her head. "Leroy you aren't going to get fired for this. This happens from time to time."

"At least I don't drink on the job." Walter pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"Gentlemen, enough. Where's the real tape?" Graham asked looking at the two of them.

The real tape was put into the player.

They saw the real John Doe get up and shove MacKenzie knocking her into the table knocking her out and walking out the door.

"He walked out alone. He's okay." Mary Margaret said softly.

"Four hours ago." Emma said looking at the time stamp. "Where does this door lead?"

"The woods." Leroy said with a nod of his head. He looked at his sister. "Are you alright Kenzie?" He was concerned about her. After all she was his little sister and he was always looking out for her.

Mac nodded head. "I'm fine. Just a little banged up." She said softly. She didn't mind the fact that she gotten smacked around.

OUAT

Prince Charming was traveling with Snow White. "I thought you weren't the jewelry type. What's around your neck?"

"Don't worry about it." She stated as she kept walking.

He took the necklace from around her neck.

"Careful!" She yelled. "It's a weapon."

"Dust? What kind of dust?"

"Fairy dust."

"I thought that was a good thing?"

"When it comes from a good fairy. This stuff." She said taking it from him. "Is deadly. It transforms the most fearsome of adversaries into a form that's easily squashed."

"Then why didn't you use it on me?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side.

"Cause your not worth it. It's very hard to come by. I'm saving it for a special someone."

"Ah, the Queen. You got a lot of anger there, don't you, Snow?"

"The charges on her posters are lies. It didn't stop her from sending her huntsman to rip out my heart." She said shaking her head.

"What happened?"

"Well, not everyone is a soulless royal. He took pity on me and let me go. I've been hiding in the forest ever since. Trying to amass enough fortune to leave this place. Escape to another realm. Someone isolate. Where I can never be hurt."

"Sounds lonely." Prince Charming admitted, it sounded quiet lonely to him.

"No, lonelier than an arranged marriage.

"At least I don't prey on the innocent."

"Up until now, I've only stolen from the Queen. I thought your carriage was one of hers. No one else ever uses that road."

"I took the scenic route."

"Well, lucky for me. All I'm doing, Charming, is what it takes to survive. She wants me dead."

"So, what you do it incur that much wrath?"

"She blames me for ruining her life."

"Did you?"

"Yes."

They continued to walk down the path until they came upon the river.

"I'm thirsty. May I?"

"Sure. Make it quick."

They both took a drink from the river.

Prince Charming had his back turned to her.

Snow hit him and pushed him into the river. She dug through the bag and found the pouch. She ran into the forest and got back onto the road. She ran into the guard that was the Queen's guard. She knew that she was in trouble again.

"Huh, look who we found. There's no where to hide. The Queen wants your heart. And we're not going to disappoint her." The guard said looking at her.

OUAT

Emma, Graham, Mary Margaret, and MacKenzie walked through the woods searching for John Doe.

"Are you certain that you want to be coming along with us MacKenzie?" Graham asked looking back at Mac with a concerned look across his face. He didn't want her to come along if she was that hurt. He didn't want her to be pushing herself so far that she would do more damage to herself. He really did care about her, but he didn't want to show his concern about her in front of this new woman in town. After all Emma could go to Regina and point out the fact that he was showing care to MacKenzie.

"It's just some stitches." Mac said pushing the fact that she had gotten shoved by the John Doe.

Emma noticed something that Graham saw. "What is it?"

"The trail runs out here." Graham said looking at Emma.

"You sure? Because I thought tracking was one of your skills?" Emma said crossing her arms.

"Just give me a second. This is my world. I got it." Graham told her.

"Right... sorry."

"What does he mean. 'His world.'? Isn't finding people your thing too?"

"Sure. Just, people I find usually run places like Vegas. Not a lot hit the woods." Emma explained to Mary Margaret.

Mac put her hands into her pockets. "Well... that would explain why he said his world."

"That's an interesting job... finding people. How did you fall into it?" Mary Margaret asked looking at Emma. "Looking for people is just what I've done. As long as I can remember."

"What made you start? Your parents? Henry told me that... that you were from a similar situation to his own. Did you ever find them?"

"Depends on who you ask." Emma said shrugging her shoulders.

They heard a crack of a branch behind them causing them to turn and see Henry running down the hill.

"Henry!" Mary Margaret said in shock looking at him with wide eyes.

"Did you find him yet?" Henry asked in wonder hoping that they found him.

"No not yet. You shouldn't be here." Emma said looking down at her son.

"Your mother will be very upset that you're here Henry you know that. She will have our heads if she knows that you are here with us."

"I can help." Henry said pleading with them. "I know where he's going."

"And where's that?" Mary Margaret asked she questioned looking at him.

"He's looking for you."

OUAT

Snow was slammed up against a tree.

A guard came up with a dagger in his hand. "Hold her still." He said holding onto the dagger. He suddenly collapsed dead.

Charming came from behind the tree fighting with the other guard.

Snow ran towards the fallen guard's horse and took the weapon that was there. She fought the guard that was on horse back.

The Prince defeated the guard and shot the guard that was taking off with her with an arrow. "Are you alright?"

She looked at him with wide eyes. "You saved me."

"Seemed like the honorable thing to do." He said looking at her. "Are you ready?"

"For what?" She asked softly.

"My jewels."

"Right, you've got a wedding to get to. The trolls I sold them to are just beyond the next ridge. We need to be careful."

"For what? Of trolls?"

"You've clearly never met one." Snow White said shaking her head.

"Aren't they just little people?" Prince Charming asked looking at her.

"You're thinking wharves. Show a little respect. They'll cut your hand off sooner than they'll shake it."

"Well, then let's get this over with."

"Yes, we've both got places to be. So let's go."

"You have your lonely little corner of solitude to find."

"And you have your ring-less fiancee to appease."

OUAT

The five of them were still hunting for John Doe.

"You're the one who woke him up. You're the last one he saw. He wants to find you." Henry explained to Mary Margaret.

"Henry, it's not about me. I just... I think he's lost and confused. He's been in a coma a long time."

"But he loves you. You need to stop chasing him, and let him find you."

"Kid. You need to go home. Where's your mom? She's going to kill me and then you... and then me again."

"She dropped me at the house. Then, went right out."

"Well, we need to get you back immediately."

"No!"

"Guys!" Graham called out to them.

"My god." Mac said picking up the band carefully into her hand.

"Is that..."

"Blood." Emma confirmed.

"He has to be somewhere around here then." Mac said softly. "He can't be too far away if he is bleeding."

Graham looked over at Mac and saw the look that was upon her face. The look of concern that was etched across her face. He could tell that even thought that she was hit that she cared about what happened to this person.

OUAT

Charming and Snow White road on horseback to the bridge that Snow had been talking about. They got off of the horse and Snow sent the horse away.

"Trolls don't like horses." She explained to him. "We walk from here. Follow me and keep quiet."

"Where are they?" Charming asked looked at her.

"Oh they're here." She told him looking over at him. She said leaving gold coins at the the edge of the bridge.

Several trolls climbed up the side of the bridge confronting them.

"It's fine I know them." She told him, knowing that Charming was reaching for his sword. She didn't want him to grab his sword, it would end badly.

"Why're you here? I thought we were done." The troll said looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"I want to make another trade."

"I'm not talking in front of him. Who is this guy."

"No, he's with me."

"Oh, that's good. With you. That makes it all fine."

"He's no one. Look, I want to buy back the jewels I sold you."

"Who is he?"

"I said don't worry about it. Look, I'll give you back all your money. Just give me the ring. You can keep everything else."

Another troll takes out the pouch and goes to give it to the prince.

"Thank you. We appreciate the help." Charming said.

"He's too eager. This is a setup."

"It's not." Snow said looking at them in shock. This was never a set up.

"He's a royal!" 

The troll grabs Snow.

Charming grabbed his sword. "Let her go!" He shouted.

"No!" Snow shouted at the troll. "You can trust me. Look, you can trust me. If I wanted to set you up I would have done it the first time."

"The time is dealing is done. Seize him."

They grab him. The trolls check Charming's bag and pat him down. They take out the fairy dust and throw it aside. Honorable poster of Snow White.

"Snow White. Quite a reward. Take her."

The prince picks up his sword off of the ground and attacks them.

Snow White got away.

"Go! I'm right behind you."

Snow runs, but grabbed the fairy dust on the way.

He fought with the trolls, but was having the lower hand in the battle. There was no way that he was going to be able to win this battle.

"Follow me! They don't know the forest like I do."

"Snow White." A woman called out to her.

Snow White stopped when she saw a woman coming out from the trees dressed in a white cloak. "Who are you?"

The woman shook her head looking at her with bright purple eyes. "Never mind who I am. You are leading him to his death." She told Snow softly.

"What do you mean?" She asked softly looking at the white cloaked woman in confusion.

"He still has a lot more to do in his life." She told Snow with a soft smile coming to her lips.

Snow ran back to Charming.

"Royal Blood is the sweetest of all."

Snow used the fairy dust that she had and transformed the trolls into bugs.

Charming looked at Snow with wide eyes. "You... you saved me."

Snow smiled a small sad smile. In a way she was thankful for that white cloaked woman for talking to her. "It's the honorable thing to do."

"What about your special someone?" Charming asked in confusion.

"I'll think of something else."

"Thank you." He said in a thankful tone.

"Anyway, how could I let Prince Charming die?"

"I told you... I have a name. It's James."

"It's nice to meet you James." She said with a small smile. "We should go. There may be more of them coming."

OUAT

The five of them were searching the woods. They came across the toll bridge.

"Where is he? Can you see him?" Mary Margaret asked Graham.

"Mary... You need to calm down." MacKenzie said looking at her friend as she carefully as she walked slowly over the wooded terrain.

"The trail dies at the water line." Graham explained to them.

"Graham." MacKenzie said looking at him.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Mary Margaret shouted in shock, her hands cupped over her mouth in shock.

Graham pulled out his walkietalkie. "I need an ambulance! At the toll bridge, as soon as possible."

Mary Margaret, Emma, Graham, and Mac pulled him back onto the shore line.

"No, no, no, no, no! No, no, no! I just found you!" Mary Margaret said moving some of his hair away from his face.

"It's going to be okay." Emma told Mary Margaret.

"Help's coming." Graham told Mary Margaret softly.

"Graham's right Mary." Mac said with a small smile.

"Is he okay?" Henry asked looking with wide eyes.

"Henry..." Emma said grabbing him to make sure that he didn't get too close to John Doe.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Henry, don't look. Okay? Don't look."

"Come back to us. Come back to me." Mary Margaret began to start CPR on him.

John Doe coughed up water. "You saved me."

"She did it. She did it ! She woke him up." Henry said happily, glad that Mary Margaret was able to wake him up.

"Yeah, kid.. She did."

"Thank you." He said softly.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking down at him with soft eyes.

"I don't know."

"It's okay. You're going to be okay." She told him softly.

OUAT

John Doe was brought back to the hospital.

"Watch your back. Coming through!" The nurse shouted.

"We got it from here."

The five of them watched from the window.

Mac let out a sigh of relief.

Leroy came running up to his sister. "What you did was crazy." He said looking at her. He didn't like the fact that she had left the hospital. She should have stayed here and should have stayed in the hospital and stayed there and waited for him to get off of work.

"Sorry Leroy." She apologized to him. She didn't like the fact that she was being treated as a child.

Kathryn his wife, burst into his room rushing to his side. "David! David, is that you?"

"Excuse me, ma'am." Dr. Whale said in surprise.

"Oh my god..."

"Ma'am, you can't be in here. Please, you can't be here right now." 

"David..."

"You can't be here, ma'am. Can you wait over there for a second okay?" He asked moving her over somewhere else.

"Who is that?" Mary Margaret asked looking in concern.

Regina walked up behind them. "His wife."

Mac looked back at Regina with wide eyes. Now this could be the cruelest thing that Regina could have done.

OUAT

Snow White and Charming were walking through the forest together.

"So... Well, you probably want this." He said giving her back the gold.

"Right the gold. Thank you. And, um, you can't get married without this." She gave him the pouch back with the jewel

He took the ring out. "Ah. I know... not your style."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." She said snatching the ring from him trying it on. "Yeah, not me at all. I'm sure your fiancee will love it." She said handing it back to him.

"Yeah. Yeah, if you need more, you can have the rest. The ring is all I require."

"Oh, no. I'm good thanks. We both got what we wanted."

"Well, wherever you're going, be careful. If... if you need anything..."

"You'll find me."

"Always." He said with a small smile appearing on his lips.

"I almost believe that." She said with a small chuckle.

"Well goodbye, Snow White."

"Goodbye, Prince Charming."

"I told you... it's James."

"Nah, still like Charming better." She said before going off in her own way leaving him.

OUAT

Regina looked at Henry, Emma, Mary Margaret, and MacKenzie who were out in the hallway with her. "His name is David Nolan. And that's his wife, Kathryn. And the joy on her face, well, it's put me in quite in the forgiving mood. We'll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means? It mean your grounded." She said looking at Henry.

Henry looked at MacKenzie hoping that she would be able to help him out of this.

MacKenzie shook her head knowing that she wouldn't be able to help him out of this grounding. There was no way that she would be able to help him out of Regina's wrath once you were in it you were stuck in it permanently. There was no way to get out of it. You were stuck.

Katheryn came out of David's room and walked up to Regina. "Thank you. Thank you for finding my David." She said in a thankful tone.

"Um, I... I don't understand. You didn't... You didn't know that he was here in a coma?" Mary Margaret asked looking at Katheryn.

"A few years ago, David and I were not getting along. It was my fault, I know that now. I was difficult and unsupportive. I told him if had didn't like things, he could leave. And he did. And I didn't stop him. It was the worst mistake I ever made."

"I assumed he'd left town all this time. And now I know why I never heard from him. Now I get to do what I've wanted to do forever... say I'm sorry. Now we got a second chance." Kathryn said with a small smile.

"That's wonderful." Mary Margaret said forcing a smile onto her lips.

Mac held onto Mary Margaret's hand knowing that this was hurting her.

Dr. Whale came out. "Well, it's something of a miracle."

"He's okay?" Kathryn said looking at him.

"Ah, physically, he's on the mend, um, his memory is another issue. It may take time, if at all."

"What brought him back?" Mary Margaret asked looking at Dr. Whale in confusion.

"That's the thing. There's no explanation. Something just clicked in him."

"He just got up and decided to shove MacKenzie and go for a stroll?" Emma asked raising her eyebrow.

"He woke up and he was delirious and his first instinct was to go find something, I guess."

"Someone." Henry corrected.

"Can I see him?" Kathryn asked looking at Dr. Whale.

"Yeah of course." Dr. Whale said nodding his head.

Kathryn walked into David's room.

Regina looked at Henry. "Henry, let's go."

"Wait, my backpack." Henry ran and grabbed his bag. He leaned up to Mary Margaret. "Don't believe them. You're the one he was looking for."

"Henry..."

"He was going to the Troll Bridge. It's like the end of the story."

"Henry, he was going there because it's the last thing I read to him."

"No, it's because you belong together."

"Henry." Regina called for him again.

Henry quickly followed Regina out the door.

Emma looked at the two women. "I will be right back."

"Go do what you need to do Emma." Mac said with a small smile.

Emma nodded her head and walked out of the hospital. "Madam Mayor!"

"Wait by the car." Regina told Henry.

Henry walked towards the car leaving the two of them alone to talk. "Miss Swan, I let you off the hook back there. Don't press it."

"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Nolan? Kind of feels like her story could be a load of crap. All this time, there's a John Doe lying around in a coma and nobody puts it in the news, nobody goes looking. Something's not right here."

"Well, what else would make sense to you? Why would Miss Nolan lie? Do you think I cast a spell on her?"

"I think it's rather strange you've been his emergency contact all these yeas and you only found her now." Emma pointed out looking at her crossing her arms.

"Well, this town is bigger than you know. It's entire possible to get lost here. It's entirely possibly for bad things to happen." Regina said looking at her giving her a smug smile.

"And just when it's convenient you manage to solve the mystery?"

"Thanks to you. That tape you found was a stroke of genius. So, we went back and looked at past tapes. Turns out Mr. Doe's been talking in his sleep. He's been calling out for a Kathryn. After that, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together. And here I thought you and Mary Margaret would be pleased. True love won out. So bask in the

moment, dear. Were it not for you two, they would have their lives completely alone. That's why I'm willing to forgive your incessant rudeness. But all this has reminded me of something oh-so very important. How grateful I am to have Henry. Because not having someone? Well, that's the worst curse imaginable."

OUAT

"Mary Margaret?" Mac asked looking at her sadly.

Mary Margaret looked at her.

"I have to get to work."

Graham looked at Mac.

"Oh... I will let you go. I'll be fine."

"You sure?" Mac asked concerned, about her friend.

Mary Margaret nodded her head.

"Okay." She said softly.

"I will give you a ride to work." Graham said giving her a smile. She liked walking it always gave her something to do. She loved feeling the wind going through her hair. It made her feel somewhat at peace. She didn't have nothing to worry about in the world. But maybe the wandering eye of the pawn shop owner Mr. Gold.

Mac looked at him with wide eyes. "Graham you don't have to. Won't Regina, you know... get upset?"

Graham shrugged his shoulders. "I just want to give you a lift to work. I know you don't drive. You walk everywhere you go. And Leroy would be upset if you fainted going to work."

Mac bit her lip shyly. She wasn't so sure of him taking her to work. She was actually afraid of him taking her to work. After all if Regina saw Regina would be in a jealous rage and Mac would be in Regina's warpath. And that would not be a good thing and that was something that Mac didn't want to be caught in the middle of. She also knew that Leroy was going to be upset with her if she passed out again on her way to work since he had a working car and he was the one that used it most of the time and she didn't like driving and she was the one that preferred to walk.

"You should take him up on his offer Mac." Mary Margaret said with a small smile.

Mac nodded her head. "Okay." She said softly. "As long as you think Regina doesn't mind it."

"She won't. She would be concerned if you passed out again on your way to work."

"How did she find out about it?"

Graham rubbed the back of his neck. "I may have told her about it."

"Why would you do that?" MacKenzie was surprised that he had told Regina had told her about it.

"She asked how you were." Graham told her admitting the truth. He really didn't want her walking alone, not truly. He was more afraid that something was going to end up happening to her. He wouldn't really admit it to Regina that he cared about Mac because he knew that would condemn him. But he knew that she needed help, he knew that Mr. Gold had taken some kind of interest in her and that bothered him quite a bit. He wasn't sure how to take it. Someone Mr. Gold's age shouldn't be bothering a young woman like MacKenzie.

OUAT

Mary Margaret was at home fiddling with the ring that was on her finger. She had seen David and Kathryn hugging one another in the hospital. It wasn't good, it stabbed her in the heart. She heard a knock on the door. She carefully got up and answered the door. "Emma."

"Sorry to bother you so late. Is that spare room still available?" Emma asked softly, hoping that the room was still available to her.

Mary Margaret nodded her head and allowed Emma into her home. She knew that Emma needed a place to stay instead of being inside of her car all night. It was the only thing that mattered right now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is the end of chapter 3. I hope that you guys enjoy this. Please let me know what you think. I want to know what you guys would like to see in upcoming chapters. I hope that you guys like how MacKenzie is coming along. Granted she is shy and other things but when she is around friends well... you can see how she is. Please leave a review and let me know.


	4. Chapter 4

Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 4 of Hello Darkness. I can't wait to show you guys what happens in this chapter. I am slightly nervous about this chapter that is for sure. I am not sure what you guys will like this one I just hope that I will do alright with this one. I think that you guys will enjoy this one a lot. I hope that you like what you see what is to come in this chapter. Hopefully you will like who this mystery character is that is in this chapter. She has already been in this story already and she is Mac's Fairy Tale world side. So without further ado chapter 4. Enjoy guys.

 **Chapter 4**

The Price Of Gold

A man stood well hidden in the shadows waiting for something to happen. He always remained well hidden in the shadows. It was something that he did best.

"Stiltskin what on earth do you think you are doing?" A woman asked appearing behind him in the shadows. Her skirts swirled around her as she moved towards him to try to get a little bit closer to him. She wanted to know what on earth he was doing. She was hoping that he wasn't losing his mind to the madness that was the darkness.

Rumpelstiltskin covered the woman's pale silver lips. He was trying to keep her from talking so loud due to the fact that someone could very much hear her. "Ah ah ah, Dearie. I don't want you to be blowing my cover." He said into her ear causing her to shiver.

The two of them watched a group of well dress women walked to a carriage getting into it leaving being a scruffy young woman behind.

A fairy appeared to the young woman.

The woman swung her head causing her hood to fall from her head, her purple eyes were widened with fear. "Stiltskin. Don't tell me that you are thinking about..." She didn't want him to be thinking that, taking the fairy godmother's want.

Rumpelstiltskin covered her mouth again. He moved his face closer to her. "Do you know that you talk quite a bit don't you?" He said moving his cheek lightly against her own, breathing her scent in. Granted he liked hearing her talk, but this time it was something that he didn't want to hear her talking.

The woman bit the inside of her cheek lightly knowing that she was a little bit in trouble with the fact that Rumpelstiltskin knew almost everything about her just like she knew almost everything about him.

The two of them continued to watch and listening to what the fairy was telling the young woman.

"Do not despair, my dear. You will attend that ball." The woman said with a smile her wings fluttering.

"Who are you?" The young woman asked in confusion looking at the fairy.

The fairy transformed into a woman. "I'm your fairy godmother. And I'm here to change your life, Cinderella." She said with a smile.

"But my stepmother told me I couldn't go. She forbade me to leave."

"Your stepmother doesn't have this." She said showing her wand to Cinderella.

The woman with silver lips looked at Rumpelstiltskin with a concerned look. "Stiltskin please. I am really begging you... please don't do this."

"Dearie... you of all people know what this wand does..." Rumpelstiltskin said looking into her violet colored eyes.

The woman took a breath knowing that was very true. That wand was dangerous, but in Rumpelstiltskin's hands well it was worse and she knew it.

"This wand has the power to take you to your ball, to your prince and to..." The fair godmother began to disintegrates, dropping her wand.

Rumpelstiltskin picked it up carefully. He knew that the woman that he had left behind would be upset with him for killing the fairy godmother, but he was trying to make a point to her, in all his ways he just had to kill her.

"What... What did you do?" Cinderella asked in shock looking at Rumpelstiltskin with wide eyes.

"Now, no. I got what I wanted. There's no need to be frightened." He said with a smile.

"No need? You just killed my fairy godmother. She was trying to help me." Cinderella said becoming more afraid of this man that was in front of her. Who was he?

"Was she? Do you know what this is?" He asked holding up the wand.

"Pure magic."

"Pure evil. Trust me... I've done you a favor. All magic comes with a price. Go back to your life and thank your lucky stars you still got something to go back to."

"My life... It's wretched." Cinderella told him softly, looking at him with sad eyes. It was the same eyes that his friend had given him before he had gone off and killed the fairy godmother.

"Then change it. You can't handle this." He said turning on his heels to leave.

"Wait. Please, wait. I can handle it. Please." Cinderella said pleading with him. "I will do anything to get anything to get out of here. Anything."

"Anything?" Rumpelstiltskin said stopping in his tracks.

"Do you know how to use that wand, Mr...?"

"Rumpelstiltskin." He said turning and bowing at her a little bit. "And yes, of course I do."

"Then help me."

"Well, if I do, and you can, indeed, shoulder the consequences, then you'll owe me a favor."

"Name it. What do you want?"

"Something... precious."

"I have nothing." She admitted to him. It was true she didn't have anything precious to give him. So what did he want?

"Oh, but you will. With this wish, will come riches more than you know."

"I care nothing for riches. I'll give you anything you want. Just get me out of here."

"Now we're talking."

"Well, how does it work?"

"Fear not! My needs are small and all you have to do is sign the dotted line." He took out a long contract. "Do we have a deal."

"Yes. Yes, thank you." She said as she sign the contract.

Rumpelstiltskin waved the wand and transformed Cinderella into a princess down to the glass slippers. "Ta-dah."

"Glass?"

"Every story needs a memorable detail. Let's see how they fit, shall we?" Now, you have a good time. But watch the clock." Rumpelstiltskin said with a smile.

OUAT

Emma walked with Henry down the street.

"You sure we can be out in the open?" Henry asked looking up at his real mother.

"Enough sneaking around. If your mom has a problem with me walking you to a school bus, I am more than happy to have that chat." Emma said putting her hands in her pockets.

"You're brave. We'll need that for Operation Cobra. Speaking of... do you think we need code names?"

"Isn't 'cobra' our code name?" Emma asked looking down at him.

"That's the mission. I mean us. I need something to call you." Henry said looking at her. Henry saw Mac walking down the road. "Hi Kenzie." He waved waving at her.

Mac smiled at Henry and waved at him. "Hi Henry." She said softly. "Hi Emma."

"Hi." Emma said looking at Mac.

"The diner?" Henry asked looking up at her.

Mac nodded her head.

Henry smiled at his head.

"I'll see you around Henry." Mac said with a smile. "I will see you Emma." She said as she walked away towards the diner to get something for breakfast.

"Why don't you just call me Emma for now, Henry?" Emma asked looking at Henry.

"Well, then, I'll see you later, Emma." Henry said getting onto the bus.

Graham pulled up in his cop car with the siren going.

Emma turned her head as he turned it off. "What's with the siren?" She questioned looking at him.

"It's so hard to get your attention." Graham said looking at Emma.

"Well you got it." Emma said looking at him. "Are you arresting me again?"

"I'm thanking you again. For your help finding that coma patient. We all owe you a depth of gratitude."

"Well, what do I get? Accommodation? Key to the city?"

"How about a job? I could use a deputy."

"Thank you, but I have a job."

"As a bail bonds person? There's not much of that going on here."

"I don't see a lot of sherriffing going on around here, either." Emma said crossing her arms quirking her eyebrows at him. It was true. She wasn't sure of why there was even a sheriff here.

"Well, here's your chance to see it up close. There's dental? Why don't you think about it? And stay a while?" Graham said before pulling away. He had to get to work after all. He didn't want Regina to think that he wasn't doing his job.

OUAT

Ruby served Emma a cocoa.

"Thank you."

Regina entered the diner and sat down from across from her. "How was your walk with Henry?" She asked smirking a little bit. That's right. I know everything. But relax. I don't mind."

"You don't?" Emma asked, bewildered of why Regina didn't mind her walking with her walking with Henry. It was kind of odd that she didn't mind Henry walking with her.

"No. Because you no longer worry me, Miss Swan. You see, I did a little digging into who you are. And what I found out what quite soothing. It all comes down to the number seven."

"Seven?" Emma asked looking at her in slight confusion.

"It's the number of addresses you've had in the last decade. Your longest in anywhere was two years. Really, what dd you enjoy so much about Tallahassee?"

"If you were wondering. I did find a place here in town."

"I know. With Miss Blanchard." Regina said nodding her head. "How long is your lease? Oh, wait. You don't have one. You see my point? In order for something to grow, Miss Swan, it needs roots. And you? Don't have any. People don't change. They only fool themselves into believing they can."

"You don't know me." Emma said narrowing her eyes at Regina.

"No, I think I do. All I ask, is you carry on your transient life, you think of Henry and what's best for him. Perhaps consider a clean break. It's going to happen anyway. Enjoy your cocoa." She said getting up from the chair and leaving the diner.

Emma went to stand up and got cocoa all over shirt.

Ruby quickly came over with a cloth to help Emma clean up the mess.

"Oh! Really?" She groaned.

"Eesh." Ruby said shaking her head.

"Do you have a laundry room that I can use?"

Ruby nodded her head. "Yes. Mac uses it when she comes in. I am pretty sure that she has shirt back there... Hey Mac!"

Mac looked up from the sketch pad that she had in front of her. "Huh!?" She squeaked out almost sounding like a mouse. She clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry Mac. Do you have an extra shirt in the laundry room?"

"Oh yeah..."

"Do you mind letting Emma borrow it?"

"Oh no of course not. Go ahead and borrow it."

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

Emma went to the back and took her shirt and threw it into the washer. There was another girl in the backroom.

The girl held onto pink sheets. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" She groaned out in agitation.

"You okay?" She asked as she grabbed the shirt that she saw was MacKenzie's slipping it on.

"The sheets." She admitted looking down at them in agitation. "They're uh... They're pink."

"You try bleach?"

The girl put down the sheets revealing that she is fairly pregnant.

"Oh."

"Last night, I felt contractions and the doctor said that the baby could come any day now." The girl explained.

"Well, that's great."

"It's just that, um, when the... when the baby comes, no one thinks that I can do this. No one thinks I can do anything. Maybe they're right."

"Screw 'em."

"What?" The girl asked looking at Emma in confusion.

"Screw them. How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"I was eighteen."

"When... When you had a kid?"

"Yeah. I know what it's like. Everyone loves to tell you what you can and can't do, especially with a kid. But ultimately, whatever you're considering doing or giving up, the choice is yours." Emma explained to the girl.

"It's no exactly what you might think."

"It never is. People are going to tell you who are your whole life. You just got to punch back and say, 'no, this is who I am'. You want people to look at you differently? Make them. If you want to change things, you're going to have to go out there and change them yourself, because there are no fair godmothers in this world."

OUAT

Mr. Gold was busy closing up his pawn shop up for the night to leave. He slowly walked away from the shop for the night.

The girl that Emma had talked to from that morning broke the window with a brick. She unlocked the door and entered the shop. She walked to the back of the pawn shop and looked around. She found the hidden safe that Mr. Gold had in the back.

Mr. Gold walked up behind her. "Ashley, what are you doing?" He asked, looking at her wondering why she broken into his shop like this.

"Changing my life." She said macing him.

He fell to the ground hitting his head knocking himself unconscious.

She grabbed the keys off of Mr. Gold and unlocked the safe.

OUAT

Regina put her lipstick on while looking in the mirror.

Henry was sitting at the table reading his comic book.

"I know you think otherwise, but I don't enjoy these Saturday city council meetings. Sometimes, they're just unavoidable. Now, you know the rules."

"Yes on homework, no on TV, and stay inside."

"Good boy. Under no circumstance do you leave this house."

"You mean, don't see my mom."

"She's not your mother. She's just a woman passing through. Now, do as I say, or there will be consequences. I'll be back at five sharp." She said as she left the house.

OUAT

Mac was on her way home for work when she saw that there something was wrong at Mr. Gold's pawn shop. She saw that the glass was shattered. Her violet colored eyes widened. She opened the door carefully and slowly went inside. "Mr. Gold?" Her voice laced over with concern. She slowly walked towards the back. "Mr. Gold?" She called again, trying to call for the business owner. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw him out cold on the floor. "Oh my god. Mr. Gold." She said kneeling down next to him.

Mr. Gold moaned out a little bit his hand going to his head.

"Mr. Gold what happened? " Mac asked softly.

"Miss Stone..." He asked blinking a few times trying to get his sight to straighten out.

"Yes, sir. Are you alright?" She asked softly, looking down at him. "My god what happened?"

He tried to sit up.

Mac slowly helped him sit up.

"Ashley broke in." He said looking at Mac.

"Oh that sweet girl? What would she do that?" Mac asked softly, her voice lacing over in confusion. She didn't know why Ashley would do something like that to Mr. Gold.

Mr. Gold shook his head. "Do you know where Miss Swan is staying?" He asked looking into her concerned violet eyes.

Mac pursed her pale pink lips together. She nodded her head. "Yes, Mr. Gold I do."

"Take me there in the morning. I need to rest."

She nodded her head. She helped him to his feet carefully. She knew that she was getting into something that she would probably regret getting herself into. She knew that she was probably going to have to stay with him over night to make sure that he was alright.

OUAT

Mary Margaret was busy cooking something to eat for the two of them.

Emma was busy unpacking her things. "I'm so glad my stuff is here. Oh, thanks."

"So, that's all your stuff?"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked looking at Mary Margaret in confusion.

"Is the rest in storage?" Mary Margaret asked curiously.

"No, this is all of it. I'm not sentimental."

"Well, it must make things easier when you move." Mary Margaret said softly with a sad smile..

There was a knock at the door.

Mary Margaret went to the door. She opened it and saw Mac with Mr. Gold. Her eyes went wide upon seeing Mac even that close to Mr. Gold.

"Miss Blanchard. Is Miss Swan here?" Mr. Gold asked, looking at Mary Margaret hopeful that Emma would be there to help him with what he was property end.

Emma got up out of her seat and went over to the door.

Mr. Gold shook her hand. "Hi, my name's Mr. Gold. We met briefly on your arrival."

"I remember." Emma said nodding her head remembering him.

"Good. I have a proposition for you, Miss Swan. I, uh... I need your help... I'm looking for someone."

"Really? Um..."

"You know what? I'm going to go and jump in the bath." Mary Margaret said quickly leaving.

Mac shifted shyly. "I'll leave you to it then."

Mr. Gold held onto her arm tightly trying to keep his balance.

Mac squeaked a little bit, her cheeks flushing a little bit.

"I have a photo. Her name is Ashley Boyd. And she's taken something quite valuable of mine."

"So, why don't you just go to the police?" Emma asked in confusion looking at him.

"Because, uh... She's a confused young woman. She's pregnant. Alone and scared. I don't want to ruin this young girl's life. But I just want my property returned."

"What is it?" Emma asked crossing her arms.

"Well, one of the advantages of you not being in the police is discretion."Well, one of the advantages of you not being in the police is discretion. Let's just say it's a precious object and leave it at that."

"When'd you see her last?"

"Last night. That's how I got this." He said showing the cut on his head. "It's so unlike her. She was quite wound up. Rambling on and on about changing her life. I have no idea what got into her. Miss Swan, please help me find her. My only other choice is the police,and I don't think anyone wants to see a baby born in jail now, do they?"

"No,of course not."

"So, you'll help me, then?"

"I will help her."

"Grand."

Henry walked in without knocking on the door. "Hey, Emma. I was thinking we..."

"Hey, Henry. How are you?" Mr. Gold asked with a smile.

"Okay?"

"Good. Give my regards to your mother. And um good luck Miss Swan." Mr. Gold with the help of Mac left.

Henry looked at his mom."Do you know who that is?"

"Yeah, of course I do."

"Who? Cause I'm trying to figure it out."

"Oh. I meant in reality."

"Is that all you brought?"

"Henry, what are you doing here?"

"My mom's gone til five. I thought we could hang out."

"Ah, kid, I wish I could. But there's something I got to do."

OUAT

Henry followed his mother. "Please let me help." He pleaded with her.

"No! No, it could be dangerous."

"The pregnant maid is dangerous?" He asked in confusion shaking his head.

"She assaulted, Mr. Gold."

"Cool!"

"This isn't a game. She's desperate. MacKenzie found him on the ground."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know."

"Well,then let's find her."

"Oh, no,no, no, no. There is no let'. You cannot come with me."

"Then I'll look for her myself." Henry said boldly. He was wanting to help find her. He wanted to help his mother in any way that he could even if it meant going against what she said. It was how he was.

"Then I'll find you and bring you back."

"Then you wouldn't be helping the maid." Henry pointed out.

"I am I'm just trying to be responsible, here."

"And I'm just trying to spend time with you." He said getting into Emma's car.

Emma groaned. "Oh, that's really not fair."

"So, the maid. What's her story?" Henry asked looking at his mom.

OUAT

A woman dressed in a silver gown and black cloak remained hidden in the shadows. Her violet colored eyes remained trained on Cinderella and her husband Prince Thomas. A small sad smile was on her silver pink lips. She knew that Rumpelstiltskin had something up his sleeve when he had Cinderella sign the contract with him. What ever it was it wasn't good.

"What's wrong?" Thomas asked his wife.

"Nothing. Every year when I was growing up, I used to watch these fireworks from afar. And I knew what they meant... Something special was happening at the palace. Now, they're for me. For our wedding."

The two of them kissed softly.

OUAT

They met up with Thomas's father, Snow White and her husband Prince Charming.

Cinderella hugged Snow White. "I'm so happy you could come."

"You're beautiful." Snow White said with a smile.

The woman watched from the shadows as the party continued to move on. People dancing and enjoying themselves. She saw Cinderella bump into Rumpelstiltskin. "Don't do it." She whispered to herself knowing that was probably up to good.

"I'm proud of you, too." Rumpelstiltskin said looking at Cinderella with a smile.

"You. What are you doing here?" Cinderella asked, moving back nervously.

"I just wanted to make sure you were happy with your end of the bargain. You know... true love, riches, happy endings. Did you get everything you desired?"

"Yes, yes I did. Now, what do you want? What's your price? My jewels? The ring?"

"No, my dear. Keep your baubles. What I want is something you don't yet posses, but something I knows coming Your first born."

Cinderella's eyes widened in shock.

The woman's eyes widened. Of course Rumpelstiltskin had to pull that plan to take Cinderella's first child. He always had a sick and twisted mind. Now she needed to find a way to protect her.

OUAT

Cinderella was packing things up into a bag.

Thomas came into the room. "What are you doing?" He asked in confusion of why of his wife was packing her things up.

"I thought you were hunting?" She asked dropping the item that she was about to put into the bag.

"I was, but the weather wasn't agreeing, so we came back early. Are we going somewhere?" He saw her look. "You're going somewhere."

"Something's happened." She said softly.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Ella, that's wonderful! Why are you upset? That's what we wanted."

"There's something else. When we met that night at the ball, it wasn't my fairy god mother who sent me. It was Rumpelstiltskin. I made a deal with him for this life. I was stupid. I didn't understand the price of magic. So, I promised him something."

"What did you promise him?"

"He tricked me." She whispered shaking her head. "I thought that he would want our gold or jewels."

"What was it?"

Cinderella rubbed her stomach.

"Our baby?"

"I'm so sorry. And now, I'm going to lose it all. My... life, you..."

"No. I don't care what that imp said. Magic may have brought us together, but it didn't create this love."

"But I made a deal. I can't break that... he's too powerful."

"Then, the answer is simple. We make another deal. Or if that doesn't work. We go and find Merlin."

"Merlin?"

Thomas nodded his head. "Merlin."

OUAT

Emma was with Ruby and Henry. She looked at Ruby. "So, this boyfriend of hers. You don't think he was involved in her disappearance?"

"Uh, that would mean he was involved with her at all, which he isn't." She rolled her eyes scoffing a bit. Like I said."

Ruby's car was dropped abruptly onto the ground. Her glass wolf charm that she had hanging up almost broke. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Billy, be careful! You almost shattered my wolf thing, Billy. It's good luck."

"I'm sorry, Ruby. But look... it's fine."

"Um, Ruby. What about her family?" Emma asked try to get Ruby to get information on the girl.

"Oh, um, she's got a step-mom and two stepsisters that she doesn't talk to." Ruby explained to Emma.

"Wait. Step-mom, stepsisters, and she's a maid?"

"Henry. Not now."

"Look. I don't know what you've heard, but it's wrong. Everyone thinks she's not ready to have this kid, but she's trying. Taking night classes to better herself... trying to get her life together. Can you understand that?"

"I think so."

"Then maybe you should stay out of it. She's been through enough already."

"I've been through it too, Ruby, and I can help her."

"Then, try her ex."

"Where can I find him?"

"He lives with his dad." Ruby explained to her.

OUAT

Emma knocked on the door, as his father pulled into the driveway.

"Can I help you?" asked a young man as he opened the door.

"Are you Sean Herman?"

"Yeah who are you?"

"I'm Emma Swan. I'm... I'm looking for Ashley Boyd. She's in trouble. I just thought maybe she came to see you."

Sean's father walked up the steps. "My son doesn't have anything to do with that girl anymore. So, whatever trouble she's in, I am sorry for her, but there's nothing we can do to help you."

"You're the reason he broke up with her."

"Absolutely. I'm not going to let my son throw away his entire life over a mistake."

"So you just told him to leave her?"

"Well, what are they going to do? Raise the child in the back seat of a car?"

"Some people only have the backseat of a car." Emma said looking at Sean's father in shock. That was a stupid thing that he was doing this to them.

"Well, they're to be pitied. I'm not letting that happen to my son."

"Dad, maybe we should help her look."

"It's a waste, Sean."

"Sean, if you want to come, come. Stop letting other people make decisions for you. If Ashley runs away with this baby, she's going to be in some serious trouble."

"She's running away with the baby?"

"Yes."

"Sean. Inside. Now." His father ordered him.

Sean went inside of the house.

Sean's father looked at Emma. "Look Believe me, if I knew where she was, I would tell you. I went through a lot of trouble to get her that deal."

"Deal? What are you talking about?"

"You don't know? Ashley agreed to give up the child. And she's being paid very well to do so."

"She sold the baby." Emma asked in shock. She wasn't expecting that. That was the last thing that she was expecting.

"Oh, you make it sound so crass. I found someone who's going to find that child a good and proper home."

"And who are you to judge whether Ashley is capable of providing that?"

"Look at her. She's a teenager. She's never shown any evidence of being responsible. How could she possibly know hoe to be a mother?"

"Maybe she's changing her life."

"Everybody says that. Now look. I found someone who's going to pay Ashley extremely well. Someone who's going to see to it that everybody's happy."

"Mr. Gold."

"Well, isn't that why you were hired? To bring him the baby?"

OUAT

Emma drove her car trying to figure out where this girl could have gone.

"You can't make her double cross Gold. No one's ever broken a deal with him." Henry said looking over at Emma.

"I'm happy to be the first. If Ashley want to have this baby she should have it. Anyone who wants to be a mother, should damn well be allowed to be one." She said parking the car outside of the diner.

The two of them walked inside of the diner.

Mac was at the bar enjoying a cup of coffee. Her platinum blonde hair that now donned purple streaks underneath was braided over her shoulder. "I just can't believe she attacked Mr. Gold like that. I mean...it's not like Ashley to attack someone like that." Mac said, stirring her spoon in her coffee looking down at her cup sadly.

"Hey we don't know the whole story, Mac." Ruby told her friend. "We don't know why, but maybe she wanted to make a better life. She wants this baby. We both know that she wants this baby."

"I know. I support her in the matter you know, I do." Mac rubbed her face. "But attacking Mr. Gold like that... I didn't think she would do that."

Emma walked up to the two of them. "Why didn't you tell me she sold the baby?" Emma said narrowing her eyes at Ruby.

Mac bit her lip knowing that Emma was going to give them both the third degree for them both knowing this.

"Because I didn't think it was important." Ruby said rolling her eyes.

Emma looked at Mac. "And you knew this too?"

"Hey of course I knew, but you never asked me." Mac said shyly looking down at her coffee.

"Leave Mac out of this." Ruby said, looking at Emma. "She has it hard enough. She has three jobs plus taking care of volunteer work that she does at the hospital, besides she's right. You never did ask her. But I didn't think it was important."

"Really? Considering that's why she's running away." Emma said huffing a bit.

"Look, Ashley's our friend. I don't like the idea of people judging her."

Emma noticed the wolf charm on the counter. "Ruby, where's your car? You didn't send me to Sean to find her. You sent me there to give her a head start."

"Look, I'm only trying to help her."

"Yes, so am I. Ashley's in more trouble than you know, Ruby. Where is she? Don't make her deal with Gold without me."

"I can't talk in front of him. He's the Mayor's kid."

"Hey!" Henry shouted looking at Ruby with a disturbed look. "I'm on your side."

"Henry, I need to find this woman. And in order to do that. I need you to go home, okay? So please listen to me. Seriously. She's going to tell me anything if you're around."

Henry let out a sigh. "Okay."

"Thank you."

Henry left the diner in a huff.

Mac watched him go. She shook her head lightly knowing that Henry really wanted to help out with finding Ashley but there was really nothing that he really could do to help her out. Not at this time.

Ruby took a breath and ran her hand through her black and red hair. "She left town. Said she was going to try Boston. Thought she could disappear there."

"How long ago did she leave?" Emma asked as she began to fish her keys out of her pocket.

"About a half an hour."

Emma nodded her head and left the diner.

Mac let out a soft sigh. "Mr. Gold isn't going to be too pleased to know that she is on the run."

Ruby let out a sigh. "But she needed a chance to try to be with her baby."

"I know Ruby. I know."

OUAT

Emma drove by herself when Henry popped up in the back.

"What'd she tell you?" Henry asked from the back.

"Henry! What hell? I'm going to Boston. You can't come with me."

"You can't go to Boston. She can't leave. Bad things happen to anyone who does."

"I don't have time to argue with you over the curse. I've got to get you home."

"We have to stop her before she gets hurt! We're wasting time. If you drop me off, we'll never catch up to her."

"Henry." Emma warned him.

"And then Mr. Gold will call the police, and he'll have her sent to jail."

Emma let out a sigh. "Buckle up. Ashley, what did you get yourself into?" She said softly to herself as she drove.

OUAT

"Why are we down here?" Cinderella asked in confusion as she walked with Prince Charming, her husband, Grumpy and a woman with platinum blonde hair through the dungeons.

"We need a place to keep him." Thomas said to his wife.

"Rumpelstiltskin is the most dangerous man in all of the reals. He needs his own special prison. So, we converted the mines to hold him." Charming explained even more.

"But how will we get him here? He's eluded all forever." Cinderella said looking at them.

"His strength is also his weakness. His deals... He can't resist making them and we already know who he was to deal with next. You." Grumpy said looking at Cinderella.

"We sent word with one of Snow's blue birds. He's accepted a meeting with you. You're going to tell him that doc heard something with his stethoscope... two heart beats."

The woman shook her head. "It's a long shot, but it just might work with Rumpelstiltskin." The woman said looking over at them. She knew that he might not believe it. There was a slim chance that he would, but it was the only hope that this couple had of protecting their marriage.

"You're going to tell him it's twins." Thomas said looking at his wife.

"And if he wants both, which he will, you propose a new deal. Grumpy." Charming said looking at the dwarf that was next to him.

Grumpy took out a box and opened it revealing a red quill.

"A quill? I- I don't understand.

"The Blue Fairy cast a spell on it. Whoever signs with this will be frozen... their magic made impotent."

"All you must do is get him to sign the contract." Charming said putting his hand on her shoulder.

The woman that was with them looked down slightly hurt. She never wanted it to come down to this, but had it really needed to come down to this that Rumpelstiltskin needed to be locked away? Yes, it absolutely did. He was becoming more and more out of control and he was taking things that didn't belong to him. The darkness in his heart was growing and it was dimming the light in her heart for him.

"Ella, this man is a scourge. You'll be doing the entire land a service."

"Should we even use magic? Isn't that what's causing these problems to begin with? What if this magic also has a price?"

"Then, I will pay it. I will do what ever is needed to save you and our child."

"Let's go." Charming said leading them further into the dungeon leading them to the cell that the dwarves had made.

"Hope you like it. A lot of dwarf blood went into it." Grumpy said looking at the cell that they had made.

"You sure that this will work?"

"Once he's in there, he'll never get out. You'll be safe."

"I can do this, Ella."

"Okay. Let's get him."

" _Forgive me for this Stiltskin. I know that you might hate me for this in the end, but this is for your own good. You have let the darkness control your heart for too long."_ The woman thought to herself. She had never wanted this to happen to him, but the darkness in his heart was becoming almost way to powerful and it was going to end up killing him in the end.

OUAT

Emma drove down the road trying to keep an eye out for Ruby's car.

Henry saw something a head of them. Henry pointed it out. "I told you. It's her car."

Emma quickly pulled her car over. "Ashley!" Emma shouted getting out of the car. She looked around for Ashley but couldn't find her.

They heard a moan and turned. They saw Ashley sitting on the grass.

"My baby it's coming."

OUAT

"Is the baby really coming?" Henry asked looking at his mother.

"Oh yeah." Emma said looking down at Henry. "Don't worry... the hospital isn't that far."

"No! No, no, no, no. Take me to Boston. I can't go back there."

"Oh no,we don't have four hours. Trust me... I know."

"I can't go back there. Please. He's going to take my baby." Ashley said pleading with Emma.

"I won't let that happen." Emma explained to Ashley. "Do you know what you're asking for? If you keep this child, are you really ready?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? Because I wasn't."

"You weren't?"

"Nope. If you want to give this kid its best chance, it's going to be someones who's ready, so know what that means. Your whole life is going to change and once you decide that it's yours, this 'running away' can't happen. You have to grow up and you can't ever leave. Understand?"

"Yes. I want my baby."

OUAT

Cinderella waited for Rumpelstiltskin like they had planned. She nervously waited for Rumpelstiltskin to show up.

He appeared out of nowhere. "Well, well, well!" He said with a smile."You're starting to show. A little bird told me you wanted to speak?"

"Yes. I'd like to alter the bargain."

"That's not what I do."

"I think you'll want to. I'm having twins."

"Is that so? Ooo! Let's have a look. And you would what? Give up both?"

She nodded her head.

"Why is that?" He asked looking at her. "I wonder."

"My husband, he's...He's having a hard time. Our kingdom is poor, we're losing our money, our crops are dying. We can't support ourselves or our people."

"And you would trade your other child for... comfort?"

"I can always have ore children, but I can make crops grow where the soil is dead. In exchange for our other child, you will see to it that our land is once again fertile, I think it is more than fair."

"Yes! Yes, yes. It is. If what you're saying is true."

"It is." She said nodding her head hoping that he would believe this lie so they could lock him away forever. "And all you have to do, is sign on the dotted line."

Rumpelstiltskin looked at the quill. "What a lovely quill! Wherever did you get it?"

"It's from our castle."

"You know, the only way to stop me, is through magic."

"I'm not trying to stop you."

"Of course you're not. Because, as we all know, all magic comes with a price. And if you were to use it to, say, imprison me,then your debt to me would only grow. And we wouldn't want that, now, would we?"

"Just sign the contract, please."

"Are you sure you're happy with this new arrangement?"

Cinderella held up the contract.

He took it from her to sign it. "Then so it shall be." He said signing it. He instantly became frozen.

"Thomas!"

"No one breaks deals with me, dearie. No one. No matter where you are,no matter what land you find yourself in. I assure you... I will have your baby!"

OUAT

Emma sat with Henry in the waiting room.

"You know, Emma. You're different." Henry said looking at his mom.

"What's that?"

"You're the only one who could do it."

"Break the curse?Yes,I know. You keep telling me that."

"No leave. You're the only one who can choice. Storybrooke"

"You left and came and found me in Boston."

"But I came back. I'm ten... I had no choice. But if anyone else tried to go, bad things would happen."

"Anyone, except me?"

"You're the savior. You can do whatever you want. You can go."

The doctor came up to them. "Miss Swan. Baby is a healthy six pound girl and the mother is doing fine."

"What lovely news. Excellent work,Miss Swan. Thank you for bringing me my merchandise."

OUAT

Rumpelstiltskin was put into a cell on the carriage.

"Did we really win?"Cinderella asked looking at her husband with wide eyes.

"Yes, I told you we would."

"I was so afraid that we'd fail. That... That I'd have to go back to that life. That... That terrible life. I was... I was afraid that I would lose you and that nothing would have changed."

"As long as I'm alive, you will never go back to that life." He said capturing her lips in a soft kiss. "Now. How is our little Alexandra?"

"Alexandra?"

"Did I not mention that I picked out a name?

"A name? That's more like a prison sentence."

"Well, I like it."

"Mm, men. You really know nothing of ch..." She hunched over in pain.

"Ella what is it."

"Oh, it's... It's the baby. Something's wrong."

"No, no, no. It can't be. It's too soon. It must be the stress. The excitement."

"Oh. I'm dizzy."

"Sit, sit. 'll go get some water."

"Okay."

He ran into the forest to go and get some water for his wife.

"Thomas! It's okay! It's passed. Thomas?" She got up from where she was sitting."Thomas? Thomas?!" She yelled for her husband searching for him. But she only found his cape. "Thomas? Thomas!" She went back to the cage. "What did you do?"

"Ella what's wrong?" Charming asked looking at Ella.

"Your highness , what happened?" Asked Grumpy looking at her.

"What did you do to my Thomas."

"Haven't done anything. In case you haven't notice, I've been otherwise engaged."

"Something's happened to him. You know. Tell me!"

"I have no idea, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said looking at her.

"There is a price with all magic." The woman that was with them for the first time spoken up.

Charming looked over at the woman that was with them. "You know what happened?"

The woman looked over at him with pity in her purple eyes. "Looks like Thomas paid the price."

"Don't listen to her. We'll find Thomas."

"No you won't. Until that debt is paid,until that baby is mine, you're never going to see him again. In this world or the next. Cinderella, I will have that baby." Rumpelstiltskin said looking at her. His eyes went to the woman that was with them. He knew who she was and he had to admit that he was shocked to even see her there with them hunting him down of all people.

OUAT

Mr. Gold got up for a cup of coffee.

Emma walked up next to him.

"Well, well. Must be my lucky day. Care for cup, Miss Swan?"

"A baby? That's your merchandise? Why didn't you tell me?" Emma asked him narrowing her eyes feeling betrayed by the fact that Mr. Gold had used her for a very wrong thing.

"Well because, at the time, you didn't need to know."

"Really? Or you thought that I wouldn't take the job?"

"On the contrary. I thought it would be more effective if you found out for yourself. After seeing Ashley's hard life, I thought it would make sense. Do you? I mean, if anyone could understand the reasons behind giving up a baby, I assumed it would be you."

"You're not getting that kid."

"Actually we have an agreement. My agreements are always honored. If not, I'm going to have to involve the police and that baby is going to end up in the system. And that would be a pity. You didn't enjoy your time in the system, did you Emma?"

"It's not going to happen." Emma said clenching her hands at her sides, she would never let that happen to Ashley's child.

"I like your confidence. Charming. But all I have do is press charges. She did, after all, break into my shop."

"Let me guess... to steal a contract."

"Who knows what she was after?"

"You know no jury in the world will put a woman in jail, whose only reason for breaking and entering was to keep her child. I'm willing to roll the dice that contract doesn't stand up. Are you? Not to mention what might come out about you in the process. Some how, I suspect, there is more to you than a simple pawn broker. You really want to start that fight?" Emma asked pointing out the truth.

"I like you, Miss Swan. You're not afraid of me, and that's either cocky or presumptuous. Either way, I'd rather have you on my side."

"So, she can keep the baby?"

"Not just yet. There's still the matter of my agreement with Miss Boyd."

"Tear it up."

"That's not what I do. You see, contracts... deals... well, they're the very foundation of all civilized existence. So, I put it to you now. If you want Ashley to have that baby, are you willing to make a deal with me?"

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know just yet. You'll owe me a favor."

"Deal." Emma said shaking his hand.

OUAT

Emma and Henry entered Ashley's room.

"Hey." Emma said with a smile. "What's her name?"

"Alexandra." Ashley said with a smile

"It's pretty." Emma said liking the baby's name. It suited the little bundle of joy that was in Ashley's arms.

"Thank you for getting me here."

"Mr. Gold was outside. I took care of it... She's yours."

"She is? What did you do?"

"Made a deal with him."

"Thank you."

"Oh, hey, kid. It's almost five. We got to get you home." Emma said looking at Henry.

The two of them rushed out of the room to get him home before Regina even knew he was gone from t he house.

OUAT

"Pumpkin." Emma said looking at him.

Henry looked at her in confusion.

"My code name. I was thinking in honor of Cinderella. Pumpkin."

Henry shook his head.

"You got one better in mind?" She asked looking at him.

"Yep."

"Well?"

"I'm not sure if you're ready yet."

Emma pulled up to the house.

Henry got out in a hurry.

"Henry! About what you said at the hospital. About me being able to leave?"

"Yeah?"

"See you tomorrow."

Henry ran inside quickly.

Emma quickly pulled away so Regina didn't see her there.

OUAT

Emma leaned against the car as she thought about what Graham had told her. She saw Mac walking down the street. "Hey Mac."

Mac stopped in her tracks. "Yes?" She asked in confusion.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked hoping that the platinum blonde haired woman would be able to help her out.

"Um of course Miss Swan."

"Emma. Please call me Emma."

Mac nodded her head. "What is the question?"

"Graham asked me to work as the deputy here."

Mac's eyes went wide. "He did?" She said in wonder.

"And I'm not sure if I should take it."

Mac rubbed her arm. "Well, he's been looking for someone to take the part and no one is qualified to take the job. You are, Emma. I say go for it. I really do." She said nodding her head.

"Really."

Mac nodded her head. "Yeah we need a deputy."

"Thank you."

"Oh and tell Graham. Good choice from me." Mac said as she began to walk away.

Emma pulled out her phone and the paper with the number that Graham had given to her. She dialed it.

"Hello?"

"Graham, it's Emma." I was thinking, maybe some roots wouldn't be so bad, That deputy job still open?"

"Absolute."

"Then I'm in. Regina going to be okay with this?"

"I don't care. It's my department. I'll see you Monday morning."

"Mac said good choice. And see ya." She said hanging up the phone.

Graham let out a soft sigh rubbing his face. Of course MacKenzie would say that his choice of Deputy was a good one. Mac would always comment when he made a good choice on things, that was one of the things that he loved about her. He was going to have to thank her for that. But that was something that he couldn't do at that moment. He looked underneath the bed and grabbed his socks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is the end of Chapter 4. Please let me know what you think. Have you guys figured out what MacKenzie is yet? I haven't spoiled who she is yet. I have dropped a hint maybe in there. I know there is a few hints in the story so far. Has anyone caught them yet. Take a guess who she might be. I will let you guys know if you are right. I will be updating soon with the next part hopefully soon. Until next time guys.


	5. Chapter 5

Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 5 of Hello Darkness. I hope that you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it that is for sure. I hope that you guys enjoy this next chapter. I have worked fairly hard on this one. I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter. Because just letting you guys know now without your reviews there ain't no new chapters and no new muse to write new chapters for this story. So it really helps me out. I hope that you guys like this story and this new fresh chapter. Also for guessing who Mac is. You guys can still guess who she is. I am not going to reveal who she is for a while. You guys prilly will figure out who she is in a bit. I mean it won't take much prolly to figure out who she is. One person has guessed already and I will not say if they were right or not. I kind of want to see what others think. After all I want to see how many people can figure out who she is. After all it kind of makes it all fun of trying to figure out who she is am I right or am I wrong on it. It was kind of hard trying to put her into this chapter, but I think that I kind of did a good job of putting her into this chapter that is for sure. Without further ado Chapter 5.

 **Chapter 5**

That Still Small Voice

Ruby served Mac her normal cup of coffee that she got before she went off to work in the morning. "You look like hell." She commented on how her friend looked. She was always concerned about how much sleep Mac was getting, usually it wasn't enough sleep. She knew that Mac had a tendency of working on paintings into the wee hours of the morning when she couldn't sleep and when things with her brother got out of hand.

Mac scoffed a bit and rubbed her face. "Thanks for that Ruby." She said tiredly. "Leroy was being stubborn last night. He came home again drunk."

Ruby sighed. "Have you tried to hide the liquor bottle?" She should have known that Leroy would have gotten the bottle again and would have hit it fairly hard again that it would probably would have caused major trouble for her.

"Don't you think I have?" She asked, as she took a hold of the coffee cup before bringing it to her lips taking a sip of the hot liquid. She shook her head and put the cup down. "He's stubborn thinking that something is going to happen to me."

"And what about you and Graham have you figured out what you are going to do about that?" Ruby asked curiously leaning against the bar.

Mac shook her head. "He's off limits. I'm not going to lose my job and probably the roof over my head and being known as a trollop. I'm not going to be known as the woman who steals the mayor's boy toy."

"Well, you wouldn't be stealing him if he was going to you willingly." Ruby pointed out.

Mac shook her head again. She couldn't allow herself to do that and she wouldn't allow herself to do that and it wasn't going to happen either.

A violent shake disrupted them from there talk.

"What the..." Ruby said pushing away from the bar table.

"You got me."

"We should take a look." Ruby said grabbing a hold of Mac's arm.

OUAT

Regina was trying to do crowd control thanks to the whole entire town being there at the mines. "Everyone! Step back, please!" She yelled trying to get their attention.

"Is that a crater?" Ruby asked, nudging her best friend, Mac, in the ribs.

Mac couldn't help but chuckle at how Ruby was acting.

"No, there were tunnels. Old mines." Marco explained to Ruby. "Something collapsed."

"Sheriff, set up a police perimeter. Marco, why don't you help with the fire department?" Regina looked at Emma. "Miss Swan, this is now official town business. You're free to go."

"Well, actually, I work for the town now." Emma said sheepishly. It was true she actually did work for the town now thanks to Graham offering her the job.

"She's my new deputy." Graham told Regina.

Regina forced a smile onto her lips. "They say the Mayor's always the last to know."

"It's in my budget."

"Indeed." Regina said nodding her head curtly. "Deputy, why don't you make yourself useful and help with crowd control?" She said walking away and stood in front of the crowd to try and deal with crowd control again. "People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed. We've always known this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels. But fear not. I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe... to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it."

Henry came out of the crowd. "Pave it? What if there's something down there?" He knew that there just had to be something anything down there.

"Henry. What are you doing here?" Regina asked in shock.

"What's down there?"

"Nothing. Now step back. In fact, everyone! Please, please step back thank you." She said before picking up a piece of glass up off of the ground and putting it into her pocket.

Henry noticed her doing that. "What was that?"

"Henry, enough. Listen. This is a safety issue. Wait in the car."

Mac put her hand on Henry's shoulder. "Come on Henry." She said softly taking Henry with her.

Henry walked with her. "I know that there is something down there." He told her complaining.

"Henry, why do you think that there is something down there?" Mac asked looking at him in concern. She truly was worried about him. He was beginning to act stranger and stranger as time went on. She didn't know how much longer Archie was going to be able to handle this fake world of his. Let alone her, she had listened to his stories and well granted she did find them integrating, but this was becoming to the point of really pushing it.

"Because there has to be something there. There had to be something that had to cause the ground to shake."

"It's a mine Henry. Nothing more nothing less. My father died down in those mines. I have heard the stories that Leroy told me of our father and how he died down there." Mac said shaking her head, her voice filled with a tone that Henry never heard.

Henry looked at Mac. He never thought that Mac would be like this, such a non-believer in what he was saying at that moment, but right now, he really needed her to believe him. He got out of his mother's car.

"Henry... what are you."

Henry grabbed Mac's arm and dragged her towards where Archie was. "Hey, Archie! Over here."

OUAT

Henry, Emma, Archie, and Mac all stood next to the police car.

"This requires all of Operation Cobra. The three of you."

"I didn't realize I was in Operation Cobra." Archie said, his eyes growing wide.

"Of course you are. You know everything." Henry said smiling looking at Archie.

"And I didn't know I was part of Operation Cobra either." Mac said rubbing her arm shyly.

Henry nodded his head. "We can't let her do this. What if there's something down there?"

"They're just some old tunnels." Emma explained to Henry.

"That just happened to collapse right after you get here?" Henry asked looking at his real mother. "You're changing things. You're weakening the curse."

"That's not what happening."

"Yes, it is! Did you do anything different today? Cause something made this happen."

Regina walked up to the four of them. "Henry, I told you to wait in the car. Deputy, do your job."

"Come on Henry." Mac said, taking Henry's arm leading him away from Regina.

Emma went to go and do her job.

Archie went to leave.

"Dr. Hopper."

Archie stopped in his tracks cursing in his mind. This was what he was afraid of.

"A word, please? Okay.. We're done with this."

"Uh, excuse me?"

"My son. We need a new treatment plan. Everything I do he thinks is part of some horrible plot. I can't cover up a safety hazard without him thinking I'm hiding something. How am I hiding something terrible in an old mine? How is any of this logical to him?

"He's got an amazing imagination."

"Yes, that you let run rampant."

"Well, I think it would be wrong to rip away the world he's constructed. I'd rather use it to try and gain..."

"Sometimes, I think you've forgotten. You work for me. You're an employee. And I can fire you. This is my town. You will lose your office, lose your house, I can cut you down to size until you're a tiny, shrunken, little creature and this will be the only roof over your damn head." She said holding up his umbrella.

"What do you have in mind?" He asked swallowing the thick lump that formed in his throat. He didn't want to do what Regina had asked him, but he needed to keep his job going. He couldn't lose his job, not when he was helping the timid Mac trying to keep her going and from spazzing out on the entire town. He was pretty sure if she ever snapped that she would run rampant and she would have probably ended up hurting herself or someone else. He just wasn't sure just yet. But he wasn't about to let that happen.

"You take that delusion out of my son's head and you crush it." Regina told Archie with a smile. That was the last thing that she wanted and that was what she wanted Dr. Hopper to do and that was a direct order.

OUAT

Archie looked at his patient, Mac who was nervously messing with her hem of the black shirt she wore. He was deep in thought.

Marco came into the room. He saw Mac in the room. "Mac."

MacKenzie looked up at him. She quietly got up from her seat. "He's been like this since I came in for my appointment." She told him softly.

Marco nodded his head. "Go on."

Mac nodded her head and headed out of the room leaving Marco to deal with Archie.

"Hey, Arch!"

"Marco? What are you doing here?" He asked in confusion blinking a few times.

Marco made an eating gesture.

"Oh, lunch. I'm sorry, I forgot... I got another patient. Another time?"

"Sure of course."

Henry ran around Marco and into the room.

"Hey! Have a good session, Henry." He said roughing up Henry's hair before leaving.

Henry sat down on the couch.

"Hey." Archie said looking at Henry. He was really going to hate breaking this little boy's dreams and fantasies due to Regina's orders and it would land him in hot water with Mac most likely meaning that he would probably lose her as a client as well.

"Are you recruiting Geppetto for Operation Cobra?" Henry asked curiously looking at Archie hoping that maybe that it was true that he was recruiting Marco.

"You think Marco's Geppetto?" Archie asked leaning forward looking at Henry.

"Sure." Henry said shrugging his shoulders. "He's Jiminy Cricket's best friend and Marco's yours."

"Henry... Henry, look. W... we really need to talk about this, okay?" Archie was just hoping that this wasn't going to end up blowing up in his face. That was the last thing that he wanted. It would end badly if that would happen.

"I know you're not convinced, but I know where I can get proof." He said unzipping his backpack showing Archie what was in his bag.

"What is this? Flashlight? Candy bars? Oh wait, Henry. Henry, you do not want to go down there."

"Emma's here and stuff's happening. I have to look at it."

"Henry, Henry. Stop. Stop. There is no proof. Look, all of this... all of this... is a delusion. Do you know what a delusion is?"

"I think so."

"It's when something that's not real. And... And not healthy. And I thought you'd outgrow this, but Henry, you know... Now it's turned into a psychosis. Do you know what a psychosis is? Th-that's when you can no longer tell what's real and if that continues, then... Then I have to lock you away. Henry, look. This has to stop. You've got to wake up. This nonsense must end."

Henry got up from the couch he sat on and stormed out of the office.

Archie let out a soft sigh. That could've gone a bit better. That didn't end as well as it could have gone. It could've gone so much better.

OUAT

Mac was on her way home from work when she saw Henry going off towards the old mines. She turned on her heels quickly. "Henry!"

Henry stopped at the entrance of the mine.

"What are you doing?" Mac asked stopping in front of the mine.

"Getting the proof that I need."

"What? What proof? What are you talking about?"

"Come with me? Please?"

Mac looked back towards town. She couldn't just leave Henry to go alone. So she had to go with him. She looked down at him and nodded her head. "Okay."

OUAT

Rumpelstiltskin was spinning straw to gold a woman sitting quietly in the corner of the room in a plain gown next to him in almost an adoring way, her platinum blonde hair piled up in a messy hairstyle.

Jiminy came into his home. He placed the bag onto the table.

"Thank you very much." Rumpelstiltskin said not looking up from what he was doing. "And the names? TO whom did these treasures belong?"

Jiminy took out a list and placed it upon the pile.

Rumpelstiltskin threw him a strand of gold thread. "Gold thread... for your thievery. Thank you. You can go. But you want something else, don't you?" He asked looking at Jiminy knowing that he was right. "Something with magic." He placed the gold strand in a bowl that was next to the woman that was next to him.

"Every year, I'm stuck in that damn wagon. I want to be free. I want to... I want to be someone else, but something keeps holding me back." Jiminy told Rumpelstiltskin.

The woman looked at Rumpelstiltskin hoping that he wasn't about to do something that was going to cause something a problem. Something always happened when Rumpelstiltskin tried to help out.

"Something? Or someone?"

"It's my parents."

"Then I have exactly what you need. This will set you free. Pour it, sprinkle it, put it in their curds and whey... anything will work." He held up a vial that contained a potion.

Jiminy went to take it, but Rumpelstiltskin pulled back.

"Ah! But you have nothing more to give me. Tell you what... after the potion has done its work, leave them where they are and I'll come collect them. It'll be my fee."

"What will become of them?" Jiminy asked looking slightly concerned of what might happen to his parents.

"Worry you not. They'll be in safe hands and you'll be free."

Jiminy took the vial and left.

The woman looked at Rumpelstiltskin. "You know the potion you gave him is very dangerous."

"I trust him to use it wisely, dearie. If not then it is none of my concern."

The woman shook her head. "Sounds only what you would do, Stiltskin."

Rumpelstiltskin ran his hand softly on the top of the woman's platinum blonde hair in a caring way. "You learned to trust me years ago. You still need to learn to trust me."

"It is why I remain hidden." The woman said looking into his eyes.

OUAT

Emma and Archie got to the entrance to the tunnel.

"Henry!" Emma called out.

"Henry!" Archie called.

"Henry!"

Pongo, Archie's dog had something in his mouth bringing it over to Archie.

"What do you got there, Pongo?"

"I don't think he's here."

"I think he is." Archie said, as he held up the candy bar that he knew that was in Henry's pack. "Candy bar. He had these with him."

OUAT

Mac used her flashlight that she carried on her when she walked alone. "Henry, I really think that we should be going back now." She said, voicing her concern. She didn't think that it was a good idea to be down in the mines when it was so unstable down there and something bad could happen and they could most likely get killed down here.

Henry came across a piece of glass.

Suddenly the mine began to shake again and collapsing around them.

OUAT

"Henry!" Archie yelled.

"Archie!" Emma yelled.

"Henry, it's not safe!"

"Henry!"

"Henry!" Archie ran into the mine as the entrance collapsed behind him.

"Archie! Archie! Henry!" Emma yelled, she could only hope that he was already.

Archie lit a match as he slowly began to walk further down the tunnel. "Henry? Henry?"

Henry jumped from around the corner. "Archie!"

"Henry!"

"You're here to help me!"

"No, Henry, listen. We got to get out of here, okay?" Archie told Henry.

"So, you're still against me?"

"Henry there's no time for that. Come on, Henry! Come on!"

"You don't believe me? You'll see. You'll see! You need to come with me." He said running into the mine again.

"Henry! Henry... Henry come back! Henry!"

OUAT

Archie searched for Henry in the mine. He gasped when he saw Mac laying on the ground. He didn't know that she was down here. "Oh Mac… why did you come down here." He said softly moving some of her dirty platinum blonde hair. "Henry? Henry? Henry! Henry, Henry… you've got to slow down." He said seeing Henry shining his light down a hole. He didn't want to go too far away from Mac who could've been injured from the mine.

"There's something shiny down there."

"Henry, this is seriously dangerous. We got to get out of here."

"It could be something."

"Henry, look at me! Look at me!"

Henry looked at him.

"I'm frightened for you, Henry."

"Because you think I'm crazy?"

"No! No, because we are trapped underground in an abandoned mine, Henry. And there is no way out. Mac might need medical attention."

Mac moaned out softly. Her hand went to the side of her head. "I'm okay…"

"Mac you hit your head."

The mine shook.

"I'm taking that as our sign to move. Archie help me up. We have to go."

Archie helped Mac up to her feet.

"Henry we have to go." Mac told the ten year old.

Henry nodded his head. He knew that it was becoming far too dangerous to be down there.

They decided to find a way out of the mine. They heard barking.

"Do you hear that?" Archie said looking around.

"It's Pongo." Henry said with a smile.

"Follow the noise."

OUAT

"We have to stop this." Emma said approaching Regina. "Arguing won't accomplish anything."

"No, it won't."

"What do you want me to do?" Emma asked looking at Regina.

"Help me." Regina said looking at Emma.

OUAT

The three of them came upon an elevator shaft.

"It's the loudest over here." Archie said pointing to the elevator shaft.

"What's… what's this?" Henry asked looking at him and Mac in confusion.

"Looks like… an old elevator." Archie said looking at it a bit closer.

Mac nodded her head. "Yes, that is what it is."

OUAT

"We need to find some way to punch through the ground. We need something big." Regina said thinking.

"Like what?" Emma questioned, trying to think of something.

"Explosives." Marco said telling them one thing. "Mac's down there. I'll do anything to get that girl out of there along with Archie and Henry."

OUAT

Archie looked at the elevator. "It's to get the mine workers in and out. It goes all the way to the top. That's why we could hear Pongo."

"That's a good thing." Mac said with a smile. She was taking that was a good sign.

"Can we make it work?" Henry asked looking at Archie hoping that they would be able to make it work.

"Let's give it a shot." Archie said looking at Henry. It was worth a shot to try to get it to work. Archie went inside of the elevator and turned the wheel and moved the elevator slightly. "Come on!"

The two of them helped Archie move the elevator.

OUAT

Everyone was in their places.

"Blow it." Regina said with a nod of her head.

The explosives were set off.

Emma ran to the entrance to see the results of the explosives.

"Did it work?"

"It didn't open."

"Then what did it do?" Graham asked in concern. He was worried about Mac who was down there. What could happen to her if she was there.

"What was that? What the hell was that? You said you could do this!" Regina yelled.

"Madam Mayor!" Emma said in shock.

"They could have killed my son!"

"I know, but this isn't helping."

"If we knew exactly where they were, we could drill down to them. Maybe… maybe rig something to bring them back up." Marco said knowing that it could be possible.

"But drill where?" Graham asked looking at Marco.

Emma let Pongo out of the fire truck. "Come on buddy!"

"What are you thinking we…"

"It's Archie's dog. He's found something. Look! This is where they must be at. What is it?"

Graham and Marco moved a piece of metal underneath was a grate.

"What is that?" Emma asked in confusion.

"It's an airshaft." Graham said in wonder.

OUAT

The three of them sat in the elevator together.

"I'm really… really, really sorry." Henry apologized to the two of them. They wouldn't have been in this problem if it wasn't for him.

"It's alright." Archie said looking at him.

Mac nodded her head.

"I just wanted to find proof."

"You, know, it's really alright, Henry. And um, um, I'm sorry, too. Look, I… I don't think you're crazy. I-I just… I just think you got a very strong mother, who's got a clear idea of a path that she wants you to be on and when you step off that she… She gets scared. And you know, it's natural. But it's also natural for you to be able to be free to think the things that you want to think. So, anyway. I… I didn't mean those things I said and never should have said them."

"Then, why did you?"

"I guess I'm just not a very good person. I'm not the man I want to be."

The elevator jerked shifting down farther down the shaft.

OUAT

Marco put a hook attached to a trunk around the grate.

"Okay. Alright… gun it. That's good! Alright, we got it! Alright." Emma yelled.

The grate was pulled off of the shaft.

They looked down the shaft.

"So, what's next?" Regina asked.

OUAT

"I think you can be him. I think you can be a good person. I mean, you're Jiminy Cricket."

"Henry, Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a… he was a cricket okay. And he was a conscious. and … And I hardly think that's me."

"But before he was that, he was a guy who took a long time to figure out the right thing to do."

"That kind of sounds like me."

"Now it's harder for you because of the curse. To hear the voice inside of you. To be who you want to be."

The elevator jerks again moving again further down the shaft.

Mac whimpered.

"It will be okay MacKenzie." Archie said looking at her.

OUAT

Everyone gathered around the air shaft.

"You need to lower someone straight down, or the line will collapse the side of the shaft." Marco explained to them.

"I've got a harness." Graham explained to them.

"Lower me down." Regina said.

"Oh, no way. I'mgoing."

"He's my son."

"He's my son, too. You've been sitting behind a desk for ten years. I can do this."

"Just bring him to me." Regina ordered Emma.

OUAT

"Hey, can I ask you again?" Archie asked, looking at Henry.

"Ask what?" Henry asked looking at Archie.

"Why do you think it's so important that your… your fairy tale theory is true?"

"I don't know."

"Give it a shot."

"Cause this can't be all there is." Henry said softly.

"I understand."

"I thought if I found proof… But I didn't find anything."

"Well, that's' not true. I was lost and you found me, right?"

"You mean, you remember?"

"No, Henry, I … I don't remember, but I- I do remember the kind of person I want to be. I just got to listen harder."

Pieces of rocks fell through the grate on the top of the elevator.

They looked up and see a light.

"What…" Henry said in shock.

"I think that's a rescue." Archie said with a smile.

"Oh thank god." Mac said with a smile. That was something that was a good sign.

"You guys okay?" Emma asked looking at them.

"Yeah, we're… we're okay." Archie said looking up at Emma.

"Hang on, Henry. Okay, that's good. Stop."

"Here you go. Up." Archie said helping Henry up to Emma.

"Come on. I got ya. Okay. Okay, I got him."

"You got him?" Mac asked calling up.

"Is he safe?" Archie asked.

The elevator shook.

"Archie? Mac?"

"It's going to fall!"

"I'm sorry!"

"It's okay!"

"Archie! Mac!"

The elevator fell down the shaft, but it didn't take Archie or Mac with it. Archie saved him and Mac with his umbrella hooking around Emma.

OUAT

The four of them were pulled up out of the elevator shaft.

Regina took Henry aside.

Marco grabbed Archie and hugged him.

Leroy grabbed Mac and pulled her to him and hugged her tightly in his arms. "Don't do that again."

"I promise not to." She whispered to her brother softly.

Once Emma got unhooked, she ran over to Henry and Regina. "You okay?"

"Deputy, you can clear the crowd away." Regina said pushing Emma away and sent Henry away. She found Archie. She walked over to him. "Thank you, Dr. Hopper."

"I, uh… I have something to say. I'm going to continue to treat Henry, and I'm going to do it my own way."

"My relief at his safety hasn't changed a thing, Dr. Hopper. You will do as I say, or you will…"

"Or will what? You'll ruin my life? You'll do your worst? Because I will always do my best."

"Don't test me."

"Oh, I don't need to. Because you're going to leave me alone and let me do my work. In peace."

"Really? Why's that?"

"Because someday, Madam Mayor, you may find yourself in a custody battle. And you know how the court determines who is a fit parent? They consult an expert. Particularly one who has treated the child. So, I suggest that you think about that. And you allow me to do my work. ANd let me do it the way my conscious tells me to."

Mac slowly walked up to Archie. "Dr. Hopper."

"MacKenzie." He said with a smile.

"Thank you for everything down there."

Archie's face flushed. "You don't have to thank me."

"I do have to thank you." Mac said softly to him. "Leroy wouldn't let me leave if I didn't thank you and you did help me. More than you ever know."

OUAT

Mr. Gold came to the mine site. He saw Mac there. He walked over to her. "I heard you had a bit of trouble."

Mac's face went a little red as she looked at him. "I went with Henry." She said softly. "Someone had to." She looked down feeling slightly bad that she had gone with Henry and couldn't stop him from going into the mine.

"I am just glad to see that you and the boy are safe."

Mac watched him limp away. She blinked a few times in bewilderment.

Henry came over to her. "What was that about?"

"I have no idea." Mac admitted to him. She didn't know what Mr. Gold was up to, perhaps there was a reason why he cared.

Regina was off to the side where the grate was. She pulled out the piece of glass out of her pocket. She looked at it briefly before dropping it through the grate. Perhaps things were going to be a bit harder. She was going to just have to try a lot harder to do things.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is the end of Chapter 5. I hope that you guys enjoyed this. Please let me know what you think of it. Please leave a review and I will try to update soon. Your reviews keep me going in the writing part. If there is anything that you would like to see please let me know. I have more planned. I do promise you that . Until next time.


	6. Chapter 6

Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 6 of Hello Darkness. This was a bit harder to write, but it fun to write. I had to add Mac in ways that I thought that was good and that went with her other side. It was kind of hard so it was something worth it. It was going to be more fairytale side in this chapter than anything. So I hope that you guys will like what happens in this chapter. It took a bit to get this chapter right so I hope that it looks good and enjoyable. And I do apologize for it taking so long. I've been writing a lot of Reader inserts on my tumblr page. Enjoy guys.

 **Chapter 6**

The Shepherd

Mac rubbed her arm as she was at David's home coming party. She didn't feel quite at place until she saw Henry and Emma come inside.

Henry waved her over. "Kenzie over here." He said with a big smile. He was glad that she had shown up here at the party. He knew that she was out of her element by being there.

Mac chuckled lightly and walked over slowly to see Henry and Emma. "Hey." She said softly.

"I'm sorry." He said to her again. "For what happened in the mine." He kept apologizing for what had happened in the mines even though he wanted to find some sort of proof.

"It is fine Henry. I can understand. You wanted to find proof." She said softly. "I'm just glad that you guys are here."

Henry nodded his head. He looked over at his mom. "You know why he doesn't remember? The curse isn't working on him yet."

"Henry, David has amnesia." Emma said looking at him.

"Well, it's preventing the curse from replacing his fairy tale story with fake memories."

"Right. Because everyone here has fake stories that prevent them from remembering who they really are."

"Right. And now's our chance to help him. We just have to get him to remember that he's…"

"He's Prince Charming." Emma said cutting Henry off.

"What is this all about?" Mac asked crossing her arms. "Prince Charming? You think that David Nolan is a fairy tale character?" She said looking at Henry in confusion.

Henry ignored what Mac said knowing that Mac really didn't know what was going on. "We just have to jog his memory by getting him and Miss Blanchard together."

"Didn't we try that?"

"And it woke it him up."

David walked over to them. "Hey. You're the ones who saved me, right?" He asked looking at the three of them.

"Oh, yeah. I guess." Emma said looking at him.

"And, uh, you're also the only ones I know here."

"You can hide with us."

"Fantastic." He said as he took a cocktail weenie with a toothpick. "Oh, thank you."

"So, you ever use a sword?" Henry asked looking at David.

"I'm sorry?" He asked looking at Henry in confusion.

"Emma, you live with Mary Margaret, right? You know if she's coming tonight?"

"No, she couldn't make it."

"Oh…" He said slightly disappointed in the fact that she wasn't coming tonight.

OUAT

Charming fought with a man that was heavily armored.

A woman was watching the battle with King Midas and King George. Her hair was done neatly in an updo and wore a pale blue gown. Her violet eyes watched the movements of the battle.

Charming won the battle. "Next time, make sure I'm really dead."

"Well done!" King Midas said pleased with what he saw

"Well done?" King George said looking at King Midas with a scowling look. "There's an understatement. See what my son did to that brute? He just killed the unkillable."

"A valiant feat, for sure, but it still just a man. Can he do the same with a dragon?" King Midas asked looking at King George.

The woman looked at King George, She knew that Dragons weren't to mess with, they were dangerous in among themselves.

"Do fairies sprinkle dust? Do trolls live under bridges?"

"Father, relax." Charming said proudly. "I can kill whatever beat you set me after."

"My kingdom is plagued by a dragon like nothing whatever beast you've ever faced before. He has killed every warrior that's tried to slay him."

"Well, he's yet to face me."

"My kingdom needs this threat vanquished."

"And my kingdom needs gold. I'm sure we can work something out." King George said with a smile.

King Midas raised his hand which was covered with a metal glove.

His assistant came over to remove it.

"Careful… remember what happened to Frederick." Once it came off his hand was revealed. He had a golden hand. "Your sword." He touched Charming sword turning it gold. "Consider it a down payment. You'll get the rest when you deliver me the dragon's head to me."

"It's a deal. Forgive me if I refuse to shake on it, King Midas."

"Come… let's discuss the details." Midas told George.

The two kings left.

The woman shook her head.

"A toast to our fearless prince."

"No, there's no celebrating today. This was, but a simple test. The task before us is too big, too important to make light of. Just because I was easily able to kill this brute, doesn't mean…" He was stabbed in the back by the man that had killed him earlier. He fell to the ground.

The woman threw a knife into the man's back killing him. She looked at the fallen prince with a sad look on her face.

OUAT

Charming's body laid upon an altar.

"Goodbye, my son."

The guards carried the body away of his son.

"Your Majesty, there is no time to grieve. If Midas learns he is dead, he will find another warrior to slay his dragon and we will never see an ounce of his gold." The guard said to him.

"Yes, yes. The kingdom must survive."

"So what are we to do?"

"I have asked for help. It should be here soon."

The door swung open and the woman came in her skirts flowing around her legs as she moved in a hurried fashion. Her hair was more of mess now instead of the neat bun that it had been in. Her pale pink lips pursed together. "It's here." She said, looking at the king.

"Leave us."

"Move." The guard ordered to the rest of the guard.

The guards left the room.

"Leave." George told the woman.

"Oh she knows of your little deal." Rumpelstiltskin said with a smile cackling a little bit. "So, this is how you treat my gifts? You really must be more careful."

"He was not a gift. He was my son." King George hissed at Rumpelstiltskin.

The woman shook her head. "A son that he gave you."

"In a deal that he and I made. He did me no favors."

"Yes, yes, I you and the queen couldn't conceive a child on your own. My price for that was a pittance. But now that she's gone, well, I summon that conceiving another heir is out of the question… let alone a dragon slayer."

"Then let's do another deal. Bring him back. I need my son to do this. I'll give you anything."

"Anything?" Rumpelstiltskin said a smirk coming to his lips.

"What do you want?"

"There's a magic wand I desire. It belongs to a certain fairy godmother, whose partorn to your family. And I want to know her whereabouts."

"Done. Now tell me… how do I bring my son back to slay the dragon?"

"Bring him back?" The woman asked, shaking her head. "He's dead. Magic can do much, but not do that."

"But he said…"

"Oh I know what he said." The woman mused at the thought with a smile.

"Nothing about resurrection." Rumpelstiltskin said shaking his head.

"Then, my kingdom is lost.I'm alone."

"Oh, , dearie dearie dear. Did I not tell you, that I could have you son slay the dragon? And am I not a man of my word?"

"I thought you said he was gone forever?"

"Oh that he is. But his brother."

"His what?"

"His twin brother. Did I not mention there was another?"

OUAT

The woman looked at Rumpelstiltskin. "Are you certain that he willing to leave his mother, Stiltskin?" She asked in a soft tone.

"He will leave when given the proper reason." He said with a cackle.

The woman shook her head at the thought.

"You think he won't?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, looking at her.

She pursed her silver pink lips together.

He grabbed her arms tightly in his hands causing her to wince a little bit. "You think that he won't listen to reason?" He snapped at her.

"He has a life here. He won't uproot himself for riches and gold. Not all people are all the same."

"Come on." He said as they vanished together in a dark wisp of black magic.

"Let me guess… she has dowry that will save the farm?" Charming asked his mother.

"We are running out of options." His mother said pleading with her son.

"Mother, please. As poor as we are, love is the one thing I can afford.I will find a way to save this farm, but I won't do it by marrying for riches. When I marry, I want it to be because I choose to spend the rest of my life with someone I love."

"When are you going to learn? You can't have everything."

Rumplestiltskin appeared behind them with the woman. He had a smirk on his face. "Or perhaps he can."

OUAT

"A twin brother? And you gave him to that man?" Charming asked his mother with a shocked look on his face. He couldn't believe that his mother would do that.

"We were poor… barely surviving… then, he came along with an offer. One of you for the farm." His mother explained.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"The deal forbade us from ever speaking of it. Your father regretted the decision the minute that man took your brother. He carried the guilt with him to his grave."

"Hate to interrupt this tender moment. Time is of the essence." Rumpelstiltskin said making a tick tocking sound with his tongue.

"Stiltskin. They are trying to talk." The woman said scolding him a bit.

Rumpelstiltskin looked at the woman he was with and saw the look that she had on her face. He could see the look that was on her face that she liked moments like this. He knew that she was a golden hearted person and not dark hearted like him.

"Mother, wait in the house while I deal with this."

His mother went inside of their family home.

He looked at the two of them. "What do you want from me?"

"Oh, not me, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said shaking his head, "The king. He needs a prince to slay a dragon."

"I'm not a dragon slayer."

"No, but your brother was. The newfound kinship will be your salvation. Simply push the part that Kings knights will take care everything else. All you must do, is relieved the dragon's head to Midas."

"What's in it for you?"

"What's in it for me is my business. You should be asking yourself what's in it for you. You do this, you poor mother well, the king is going to make sure any never wanted anything ever again. Your farm s saved and you, should you survive, you shall come home the conquering hero. Now, don't tell me you don't want that?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Oh, everyone has a choice, dearie. Just make sure it's the right one."

The woman beside him nodded her head in agreement. "He's right on this you know. You do have a choice in this." She looked at him dead in the eyes. "But if you do decide to go fight this dreaded beast… I will be with you." She was hoping that it would give him some sort of relief that she would be there with him on this journey.

Rumpelstiltskin froze, he hasn't expected that. Her going with him to fight that dreaded beast of a dragon. Witches were not meant to go attaching dragons. He of all people knew that and he would rather if she stayed behind and safe from harm. But he knew better that she wouldn't stay behind when lives were in danger. It was one feature that he admired, but also disliked her having. But it was what made her who she was and why he cared about her. Even though he would not admit it himself.

OUAT

Charming looked at his reflection in a shield.

King Midas approached him. "There he is – our saviour! The man who is going to tear the dragon limb from limb."

He pulled out the sword that Midas had turned to gold.

"You do this, and you'll be a legend." The king said before walking away from him.

A knight came over to him to help him with his armour. "Here… let me. You fastened it wrong. Here give me that."

"How will I fight? How will I protect myself?"

"You won't. You will stay outside of the cave with her." The knight said nodding his head towards the woman who was now dressed in proper clothing to go hunting a dragon. "We will kill the dragon. If you don't come out of this alive, Midas won't give our kingdom any gold. You might have the title of hero, but not the job."

The dragon roared.

The woman looked at the mountains. Her lips pursed together in a thin pale line and eyes hardened a little bit at the roaring sound.

Charming swallowed the lump in his throat.

The woman walked up to him. "You will do just fine."

OUAT

They walked up a narrow mountain trail. They got to the mouth of the cave.

"The dragon's lair is through there. You two stay here. We'll be back."

A group of knights drew their swords going into the cave.

Charming looked at the two knights that were with them. "Did you know him well?"

"Who?" One of the knights asked looking at him.

"My brother, the prince."

"Yeah we knew him. He's the bravest man I ever met."

Screaming and a loud roar from the dragon.

He tried to run towards the cave only to be held back.

"We stay here. Our orders are clear."

"People are dying."

"Don't move! Hey, stay back!"

He got free from there two knights that was holding him back. He saw one of the knight's that has gone on that was hurt. He dragged the knight towards where the woman he hardly known who swore that she would protect him.

The dragon flew out of the cave causing the knight to drop his sword.

"Where's your sword?" Charming asked the knight.

"Be careful charming. We don't need you dead." The woman he hardly knew said to him. Her purple eyes showing concern about his wellbeing. The last thing that they needed was him getting killed. She knew that it was dangerous going after this dragon and there would be no way for her to protect him if he went after the dragon.

The dragon flew back attacking them with fire.

They took refuge behind the rock to a avoid getting hurt.

"Stay here." He said leaving the knight with the woman.

"You're going to be okay." The women told the knight while charming was trying to avoid getting killed. She began to work on the knight's injuries that he had gotten from the dragon's fire. She lot of a soft sigh knowing that there wasn't much she could do not with that dragon flying around still very much alive. She was a magician and she could not even heal the man that was with her unless the dragon was dead.

"Your didn't see that coming, did you?" Charming sliced the dragon's head off.

The woman carefully attended to the wounded knight. "Shh…" She said softly as he whimpered in pain. "It'll be alright." Her tone soothing him some. She looked over when she heard a loud thunk. She saw that the dragon was dead. She let out a sigh of relief at least the dragon was dead.

OUAT

King Midas, King George, Charming, a few guards, and the woman that had protected Charming stood around the dragon's head that was now gold.

"He has done it. Everything you asked for and more. My on battled the dragon and prevailed." King George said looking at King Midas.

"Bring it to the palace. Put it between the chimera and the mapinguari."

King George leaned in. "We did it. We pulled it off." He whispered into his ear.

"Yes. Now how much longer before I can return home?" Charming asked.

"That's a discussion not for now."

"From this day forth, may that beast's head be a reminder to us of the valiant warrior who killed it."

"We treasure that respect, King Midas. Just as we respect your treasure."

"Yes, yes. You were promised gold and gold you shall have. But, I did not get to where I am by thinking small. I stand before you now because I dared to dream big. I was not just looking for a dragon slayer. I was looking for the strongest warrior in the land. A hero. Someone who could unite the kingdoms. Someone I would be proud to call family. Bring her!"

Abigail came into the room looking prim and proper.

"Gentlemen. May I present my daughter, Abigail. Beyond gold… beyond anything. I value her mst. I promised her I would only give her hand in marriage when I could find a companion worthy of her. Now I have."

Abigail looked at Charming. "He killed the dragon?" She questioned looking him over.

Her father nodded.

"I guess he'll do."

"And so, Prince James, I offer you my daughter's hand in marriage."

"King Midas, I am humbled by your generous offer, but I cannot honestly say…" Charming began to say.

"My son always so humble." King George said hugging Charming. "If you say anything but yes, you will be responsible for the destruction of everyone and everything in our kingdom. You will marry this girl, or I will kill you. I will kill your mother. I will turn that farm to ash. Do you understand me? Now take your father's wisdom. Follow it. I know you'll make the right decision."

OUAT

Charming rode to his mother's farm on horseback with the woman that had protected him behind him. He dismounted his horse. "Mother!" He yelled for her.

She came running out of the house. "Oh, you're back! You're alive!" She said pulling him into a hug.

The woman got off of her horse looking at the young man who was reunited with his mother finally after battling with a dragon. A small sad smile came to her lips. She knew that this was going to be the last time that Charming would see his mother again.

"Yes, I did."

"Are you hurt? I've been so worried." His mother said looking him over to make sure that there was no wounds on him and he was physically fine.

"I'm fine, mother, really." Charming said trying to sooth his mother's looking him over.

"Oh, look at you! Look at you…. You… You look like a…. Like a… Oh you look like a prince. Come inside. I'll make us some supper. You should see the house, the farm. The king is going to take good care of us. He's already started." She said as she headed back into the house.

The woman that travelled with Charming cleared her throat.

Charming looked at her and pursed his lips together in a thin line.

The woman walked up to him and put a hand on his arm. "You have to tell her." She said in a soft tone.

"Mother." Charming said softly causing his mother to turn and look at him. "Midas wants to unite the kingdoms. By marrying me to his daughter."

"What?" His mother asked with wide eyes.

"It makes the grain merchant's dowry look like sheep dung."

"No. You were right to turn down that offer, as you must this one, too. Every day you've been gone, has shown me it was shameful of me to ever encourage you otherwise. Your freedom to choose is more important than anything. I'll give up the farm."

"No." Charming said shaking his head.

"They can't force you."

"Yes, they can." The woman beside him said softly. "Because of the ruse." The woman shook her head carefully not to dislodge the hood that covered her hair. "Midas can never know who he truly is."

"I can't see my son ever again?"

The woman shook her head. "I am sorry."

"Don't do it. Run away." His mother began to plead with her son. She didn't want to lose him.

"I can't They will kill you."

"I lose you either way. A least I'll know you'll be happy."

"I already accepted Midas' offer. I didn't come here for advice, mother. I came here to say goodbye. There was too much at stake. I couldn't let the kingdom suffer on my account. I couldn't let them hurt you. You know, you were right about one thing…. Can't have everything."

"My boy. My sweet, sweet boy. Give this to your wife to be." She took her ring off.

"No, no I don't love her. I don't even know her. I… I can't take this."

"Just because you don't know her, doesn't mean you won't grow to love her. True love follows this ring wherever it goes, my son. I had it with your father. I've had it as your mother, now you will have it. Take it."

"No, no."

His mother forced him to take her ring. "Take it and I'll know. Even if I never see you again. I'll know you'll find true love. I'll know you'll be happy."

OUAT

Charming took Abigail's' hand and walked with her towards their fathers. He saw the woman standing next to his father.

"Let this mark the beginning of a new era… of a new kingdom. United and strong." King Midas said looking at the young couple.

The woman looked down at the ground knowing that Charming really didn't want this for his future. There was nothing that she could do to stop it because he had accepted this fate, being away from his mother and uniting the two kingdoms together in peace.

"An era of mutual prosperity." King George said with a nod of his head.

"Abigail. James. As I stay to work out the particulars of our new land with King George, go to your new home at my palace. We'll be along shortly and the celebration will be beyond your dreams."

"Thank you, daddy. I trust that you know best." Abigail said to her father with a smile.

King George pulled his son aside. "I'm glad you made the right decision, son."

"Thank you… father."

The two of them shook hands as Abigail came up to them.

"Come… I'm tired of waiting." She said to Charming.

"Well then, our journey shall begin! I'd thought we might take the scenic route."

"Smile, son. You're on the road to true love." King George said looking at his son.

The two of them walked to their carriage.

OUAT

Mac sat in the diner eating a sandwich in silence as Mary Margaret sat further away from her fiddling with her ring. Mac had said hello, but knew that Mary Margaret was upset about something and Mac wasn't about to pry and find out what was wrong. All she could do was say hello and have her return the greeting to her. Mac couldn't help, but worry about Mary Margaret after all she was the woman's friend, she had every right to worry about Mary Margaret.

Dr. Whale came into the diner and sat down next to her. "Rough day?"

"I don't feel like talking." Mary Margaret said looking at him.

"Come on. Sometimes, it's easier to talk to someone when you don't give a crap what they think." Dr. Whale said with a small smile.

"You ever walk into a situation, where you know exactly what's going to happen and then you go into it anyway. And then, when what you're afraid of happens, you kick yourself. Because you should've known better. But that's just who you are. It's like you're punishing yourself."

"No."

"How do you do that?"

"By never knowing what's expected…. Keeps life interesting. Can I buy you a drink?"

"You can buy me two." Mary Margaret said looking at him.

Mac got up from her seat and walked over to Mary Margaret. "I'll see you around."

Mary Margaret nodded her head. "See you Mac."

Mac left Granny's Diner and headed home for the night. She had worked hard that day and she could only hope that Leroy didn't get himself into trouble.

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 **This is the end of chapter 6. Please let me know what you guys think. Who do you think Mac is? I know a few people have guessed and I won't reveal until the time is just right. Please let me know what you guys think and I will try to get the next chapter up soon.**


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